Next Life
by 22-Ti
Summary: Amber (Chloe) made all wrong choices in life including marrying a man she didn't love. She concocts a plan to disappear with start over with a new identity. She finds a romance .life is perfect… until her love interest discovers she has a past and isn't who she thought she was. Note: While Bechole is end-game, this story mostly focuses on Chloe's journey. Full Summary in Ch 1
1. Wrong Choices

**Full Summary: **

**Amber felt she made all the wrong choices in life. She gave up finishing her degree. Amber married a man she's not in love with, a man who is lackadaisical about raising his kids, her stepkids. She's utterly miserable, and it all stems from the wrong choices she's made along the way. **

**Amber concocts the perfect plan to disappear and to start her next life with a new identity. She finds a romance and life is perfect… until her love interest discovers she has a past and isn't who she thought she was.**

**Note: While Bechole is end-game, this story mostly focuses on Chloe's journey to a better life.**

* * *

_**Amber is future Chloe **_

* * *

"We don't have to listen to you," TJ spat out vehemently. He forcefully yanked the controller out of his stepmother's hands and continued to play his game.

"Yeah, you aren't our mother," Will intensely added as he rolled his eyes. He was typically well-behaved when he was alone with his stepmother, but his older brother brought out the worse in him.

Amber's frustrations had led to a pounding headache as she sighed, facing yet another confrontation. All she had asked the boys to do was to stop playing their video game long enough to take their clean clothes upstairs. She'd tried everything she knew how to try to win over her older stepson. But her life remained miserable.

She finally positioned herself square in front of the television and crossed her arms. "I said turn off the game and put up your clothes. Now." The tone in her voice was fierce; she hoped she sounded mean enough to get TJ to behave. Will gave a sideways glance at his big brother to gauge his reaction.

TJ threw his controller at her, hitting her in the stomach before grabbing his laundry, turning the hamper upend, and dumping the folded clothes on the floor. He then threw the empty basket at her, eyes daring her to say something. Amber took a deep, calming breath and mentally went through her options. She turned around and unplugged both controllers from the game console.

"One week. For both of you. Those clothes need to be in your drawers, folded, right now, or the controllers go away for two weeks." Will snatched his basket and scampered up the stairs. She hated punishing him, too but wanted him to mind her the first time and not go along with his big brother.

TJ sat with his arms crossed, glaring at his stepmother as Chloe stood in front of the TV. She locked eyes with him and began to count slowly. "One… Two… Thr…" At the last moment, TJ got up, gathered his messed-up laundry, and stomped up the stairs. "I want them folded TJ," she called after him.

Will passed his big brother on the stairs as he headed back down. He went up to his stepmother and put his arms around her waist as she ruffled his hair. "Get your clothes put up bud?"

He nodded and buried his face in her waist. "I'm sorry I didn't listen Amber."

She squatted down to his level. "I won't tell you it's okay, Will, because it's not. But I accept your apology. Thank you." She encouraged her younger stepson to play in the backyard then went to find the right hiding place for the controllers. TJ hadn't located all her hiding places yet, but Tom was another story.

Her husband was always taking sides with the boys. Granted he was their father, but when the time came for discipline, Amber wished he would back her a little more. She tried to talk to Tom about how they treated her when he wasn't around. He always said he'd talk to the boys, but he either never did – or it didn't do any good.

Amber sent a text to her husband.

_[To Tom: Boys lost their video games for a week.]  
__[To Amber: Why this time?]  
__[To Tom: They wouldn't listen when I asked them to put up their laundry. Then TJ dumped his clothes all over the living room.]  
__[To Tom: Maybe you can talk to them before bedtime?]  
__[To Amber: You are too hard on them. They are just kids.]  
__[To Amber: They will be in bed by the time I get home.]  
__[To Tom: Late? Again?]_

Amber waited for a response which never came. She tossed her phone on the couch as her frustration level rose. Her husband's late nights at work were to the point that Amber rarely saw him before she gave up and went to bed. Then again, sometimes she thought that was better.

An evening rain had begun, and Will came back inside. "Can I watch TV, Amber?"

Still a little miffed about what he had said during the laundry incident, Amber nixed television. "It's may I watch TV, but not right now Will. Why don't you read instead? There's only half an hour until bedtime. Alexa set a timer for thirty minutes." Luckily Will got his library book from his bag without hesitation and sat on the couch to read.

Amber went to the spare bedroom closet and got a basket of yarn, darning needles, stuffing, and other supplies. After sitting next to Will, she pulled out the tiny orange dress she was working on for the white rabbit she had finished earlier. For some reason, knitting soothed her. Perhaps it brought back memories of summers spent at her grandmother's learning how to knit. Then it was scarves and baby hats and huge, lopsided sweaters. Now she knitted cutesy little stuffed dolls.

Tom wouldn't let Amber work outside of the house. He said her job was the house – and his evil sons, of course. She carted them around to all their activities and made sure they were happy in general. Unless of course, they royally pissed her off like tonight. He only ever gave her enough cash to cover things for his sons. Everything else, she had to put on a charge card which he scrutinized every month.

So, she made hand-knitted dolls. Her friend, Jessica, had a booth at the farmers' market and let her sell her creations there every Saturday morning. Amber was able to convince Tom she deserved a bit of time away from the house and "boy duties" once a week. She would sneak her dolls to the car and head to the farmers' market. The time at the farmers' market also afforded her adult time with her best and only friend on Long Island.

When the timer went off, she asked Will to get ready for bed and asked if he'd like for her to tuck him in. Surprisingly he said yes. She asked Alexa to set another timer for fifteen minutes, so she could head up to see her younger stepson.

After making sure Will was comfortably tucked into bed, she stuck her head into TJ's room. He had bulky, oversized headphones over his ears, listening to music. She walked over to his bed to get his attention and tapped her ears to get him to take off the headphones. "Hey."

"Yeah?" He said gruffly.

"Do you understand why I grounded you from video games earlier?" He nodded his head. "I see you got your clothes put up. Thank you."

"Welcome."

"Thirty minutes until it's time to get ready for bed. Do I need to set a timer?"

He rolled his eyes before replying that timers were for little kids, so Amber said she'd be back to check. Luckily, he didn't complain or get angry. He just pulled his headphones back over his ears and turned over on his stomach.

* * *

The next morning was Saturday, and Amber got up early to get a few more things done around the house, so Tom wouldn't throw a fit when she came home. She didn't know what time he had gotten in the night before, which meant he would be tired and extra cranky. Hopefully, she could get at least one load of laundry done before he woke. She wanted to be able to leave the house and not fear coming back to an argument.

She pulled their dirty clothes basket into the laundry room and sorted the clothes before going back to gather the clothes Tom had discarded on the floor when he came home. As she picked up his shirt, a cloyingly sweet perfume odor reached her nostrils. Her husband worked with all men, so the smell was yet another clue in what he was doing when he said 'he was working late.' Strangely enough, this did not upset her – only made her angry.

She sat outside on the back deck, sipping her coffee while she waited for the washing machine to finish its cycle. Her mind drifted back to college, the last time she felt her life going in the right trajectory. Unfortunately, college was also the first time she made a wrong choice in life.

Amber enrolled in the George Washington School of Business in Washington, D.C. She immediately found a supportive group of friends who were the backbone of her college experience. She was involved in a global program that provided experiences in international business through studies abroad, experiential education courses, and international student services. She was also in a 4 + 1 program where some of her classes counted both as undergraduate and graduate. She could earn her bachelor's and master's degrees in five years total.

Despite heavy class loads and busy schedules, her friends found ways to make time for dates and boyfriends – they had well-developed social lives, going to all the parties and being a part of the in-crowd. Amber never was interested in any of that, choosing to focus more on her studies than enriching her social life. After three years of refusing to go on countless blind dates her friends tried to set up for her, Amber finally relented and went out with this guy. Tom. He was tall and handsome with wavy hair and that rugged look.

Tom lived in New York state and only came to the nation's capital occasionally for his job, which made him a perfect boyfriend for Amber. She wasn't exactly all that interested in Tom but having a boyfriend seemed to make her girlfriends happy. It seemed worth it to get her friends off her back. After dating for about six months, Tom started asking Amber to come to New York to meet his family.

One of the reasons Amber didn't want to date anyone was because she didn't have time. And meeting Tom's family would probably lead to an even more serious relationship than she was willing to commit. But he persisted until eventually she surrendered and agreed to take a train up to Long Island where his family lived. Amber wasn't looking forward to meeting them, but her friends told her it was the right thing to do at this point in their relationship.

Imagine her surprise when meeting Tom's family included not only his overbearing mother and wimpy father but also his two sons, Tom Jr. and William, ages ten and six. Tom had never mentioned he had kids, nor did he offer an apology or any _explanation_ as to why he had omitted this tidbit of information from his life during the time they dated. Amber should have immediately known this was a warning sign. Not heeding that warning sign was what she called her _wrong choice number one_.

_Wrong choice number two_ was when Tom asked her to marry him, and she said yes – because that's what she was expected to do. Proper life progression was going to school, getting married, and having kids was the right progression of steps in life. Her life was moving in a different order. And these kids weren't hers.

_Wrong choice number three_ was not finishing the 4 + 1 program, leaving the university after earning her bachelor's degree despite only needing two semesters for her masters. Her domineering mother-in-law insisted her she should always cherish and obey her husband, heavy emphasis on the obey part. And Tom wanted her in Long Island, not Washington.

Which brought her to _wrong choice number four_. Moving away from her personal support system. Now her collegiate friends were graduated with double degrees. They were long gone, had incredible jobs, and spread out over parts of the world.

Amber was startled out of her lamenting by the washing machine buzzer announcing the end of the cycle. She went to change the clothes over to the dryer and began folding the clothes waiting in the dryer. Finishing two loads of laundry should be enough to squash Tom's complaints.

* * *

As she approached Jessica's booth, her friend shot her a huge smile. "Let's see what cuties Amber brought with her today," she exclaimed as she helped Amber unpack her bag. Inevitably, Jessica gave each of the dolls a name as she arranged them on the table. Sometimes she arranged them by gender or animal type, other times by color. Regardless, the display always looked great.

Amber pulled out a smaller bag. "These are the custom orders from last weekend." Jessica slid those under the table, so they wouldn't get sold by mistake and began to help her friend price the dolls. Amber was terrified to do this at home in fear Tom would find about her doll business and quiz her why they had price tags. Her situation would only get worse if he found out she was making money when she left the house on Saturdays. He wanted to control her, and one way he did that was by not allowing her access to any personal use funds. Fortunately, Jessica was understanding of her friend's position and was even willing to keep Amber's cash tucked away at her own home for safety.

"How are you doing?" Jessica's voice was kind and gentle. This question was always difficult to ask because of the answers it could bring, but she honestly wanted to know. More importantly, she wanted to provide a safe atmosphere for Amber to vent and talk.

"Surviving day by day, I suppose. If I could win over TJ, I think things would be less complicated. Tom and I married two long years ago. The boy should know by now I'm not trying to replace his mother. At least Will does great when his older brother isn't around." She told Jessica about the incident with the video game controllers. "Hopefully Tom won't find them when I'm gone today. Otherwise, they will be playing when I get home."

"And Tom? Is he still 'working late'?" Jessica put quotation marks around the words working late. She had a strong inkling Tom was indeed not coming home right after work, but certainly wasn't work. But until Amber was ready to accept it fully, she kept her opinions to herself. And Amber wasn't in a sharing mood today. The two visited a bit longer before the people started trickling in and started to approach the booth.

"Mommy, mommy!" A young girl about three ran up to the dolls and looked at them in amazement. She was adorable as could be with bright red, curly hair and sky-blue eyes. "The dollies! Aren't they pretty?" She reached out to touch one.

"Oh, honey, careful. Remember we look with our eyes, not with our hands." Her mother pulled her back a few steps.

Amber had her sample doll in her hands and asked the mother if her daughter could hold it. "So that she can see if she likes it." The mother nodded. Amber leaned down and said, "this is Lucy. She's my favorite doll. Would you like to hold her for a little bit?"

The youngster's eyes lit up as she looked to her mother for permission. She wrapped her arms around the tiny doll and squeezed it tightly. She then pointed to Amber. "You have hair like mine Miss Doll Lady! Mommy says redhead girls are special angels."

"Your mommy is right. We are extremely special. And your hair is gorgeous, and your eyes, too. Make sure you give Lucy lots of love. She adores red-headed girls." Amber stood up to talk to the mother. "I can make custom dolls, too. Even larger ones up to three feet. Would you be interested?"

Seeing her daughter enthralled with the doll convinced the mother to order her child one for her birthday. Amber gave her the customization book and an order form where she could mark if she wanted a little girl, a bunny rabbit, a teddy bear, a puppy along with types of clothes, colors, size, etc.

"You need to pay for custom orders in advance, but I can have it for you next Saturday." When the woman asked for a business card, Amber gave her one of Jessica's and explained that they were business partners. Technically this wasn't true, but Amber dared not have anything about her business on paper.

"Come on, honey. Let's give Lucy back to the pretty Doll Lady."

"Bye, Lucy." The cute little girl skipped away, holding her mother's hand.

Amber sighed. "Why can't my stepkids be that sweet?"

Jessica laughed. "They are older… and they are boys. Your time will come."

* * *

The rest of the day went well. All the custom orders were picked up, and Amber sold out of almost all the doll supply she'd brought along. She also collected several custom orders to work on throughout the week in between doing her chores. As the farmers' market closed, she tucked her remaining dolls into her bag and helped Jessica pack up her booth.

They drove to a nearby diner for their traditional late afternoon lunch where Amber tallied up which type of dolls purchased and how much money earned. Amber kept track of the more popular generic dolls to make additional variations of those.

Jessica always put Amber's cash into a bank bag which she kept hidden in her house along with the sales counts. They both insisted the funds remain liquid and easy to access. Amber flipped a few pages in her notebook and made some calculations on her phone. "One more month, maybe two. Then I'm outta here!"

Jessica's eyes grew wide when she heard her friend announce her plans. "Seriously? That soon?"

"You are my only friend Jess here. Literally. And I don't have a family to speak of – just my mom and she disowned me when I didn't finish my master's degree to become a stepmother to two boys who won't give her the time of day."

When Jessica asked about the college friends who had meant so much to Amber then, the redhead gave a deep sigh. "They all have jobs taking serious advantage of their degrees. Like real jobs such as working for the government in D.C. or at non-profits in Uganda."

"We fell out of touch after I moved away. Yeah, we are friends on Facebook, but that's so I can see what I'm missing in my life. I'm sure to have a better second life." Amber sighed. "I don't know how much longer I can take it here. Jess, I'm miserable. I've made absolutely all the wrong choices since starting college, and it's time for me to start over. Leaving will be the first good choice I've made since I graduated high school."


	2. Making Plans

When Amber met TJ and Will on that first fateful trip to Long Island, they were on their best behaviors, quite well-mannered young boys. They were remarkably well-behaved for the entire time she and Tom were dating and engaged. She had no idea how much that would change once she married their father. Not that it would have mattered much. Looking back, she realized she had no business in marrying Tom. She wasn't attracted to him, and she certainly wasn't in love with him.

He treated her well at first, but things went downhill quickly after their first year together. When they married, Tom announced she didn't have to, well, _couldn't_ get a job; Amber was shocked. She had a superb degree from a premier university and had always planned on utilizing in some form or fashion. She tried to reason with him, but Tom wouldn't hear of it. His wife would not be working. Period. Instead, she ended up being a glorified baby sitter and housemaid.

Then Amber realized that her issues with the boys had little to do with them but more with their father as they were only mirroring his behavior. She was their step-mother, and TJ saw her as trying to be a replacement for his 'real mom.' The more distant Tom grew from his second wife, the more disrespectful his older son became. And Amber knew this was unlikely ever to change. The continued late nights and perfumed clothing coupled with his controlling behavior set Amber to thinking about a way to escape her miserable life.

She had no friends to speak of other than Jessica. She didn't exactly want to be known as Tom's kids' stepmother. And while she made little effort to socialize with the other mothers, they weren't exactly clamoring to be her friend either. Amber's friends from college all had awesome jobs, either in D.C. or abroad, working with non-profits or intricate business companies. She wasn't using her degree since Tom wouldn't let her work outside the house.

Amber pulled into the driveway, safe in the knowledge that her doll bag with the custom orders was tightly rolled up and hidden away in the trunk of her car. She steeled her nerves and entered the house to find her husband and stepsons sprawled over the furniture with empty pizza boxes and soda cans strewn all about. Trying to be positive, she put a chipper tone into her voice and said, "did you save me any guys?" No response. Their eyes were all glued to the soccer game on the television.

Careful to not block their view of the game, Amber began to pick up the trash and straighten up. Might as well get it done now so Tom wouldn't bitch about the house being a mess. Sometimes he didn't make the correlation that the chaos came from him and the boys. While he wasn't physically abusive yet, she feared his harsh words and violent temper would turn into pushes or shoves or even worse, fists.

She opened the fridge to see what they had that would make a good dinner to counter-balance the pizza the boys had been munching on all day. A small voice from behind her startled her. "Can… may I have some water?"

Amber smiled at her younger stepson, who was trying hard to not be like his brother (or his dad). She got a cup from the cabinet and filled it with cold water from the refrigerator. "What should we make for dinner, Will?"

He thought for a while then announced, "burrito bowls!" They weren't actually burritos but had all the same ingredients and were one of Will's favorites. And he liked helping since there was so much he could do. Will began to pull what they needed from the pantry and refrigerator and arrange them so they could mix everything properly.

When the sounds of gunfire began to blast from the living room, Will ran off to play video games with his older brother forgetting all about making dinner. Amber grabbed an opener and began to take out her frustration on the canned ingredients, dumping everything into the pan for dinner. Hearing the guns meant that not only had Tom found the controllers, but he had also found her basket of knitting supplies as that's where she had hidden them.

Tom came strolling into the kitchen. Excuses began to flow through her mind until she came up with something that seemed plausible.

"Think you were sneaky, Amb? Hiding the boy's game controllers in your sewing basket. What the fuck is all that shit anyway?"

Amber did her best to keep calm. "If you must know, I make a few dolls for the sick kids at the children's hospital." Guilt washed over her as she used the best excuse she could think of.

"You'd better not be spending my money on yarn and stuffing." Tom raised his arm as if to hit her. He had never actually hit her, but that didn't keep her from flinching anyway. He laughed at her fear and walked back into the living room. "When's dinner?" He turned back to find out.

"Shouldn't take more than forty-five minutes, at most," Amber called out.

"Too long. Make it thirty."

"I'll serve yours cold douchebag," she muttered under her breath.

Amber delivered her husband and step-sons' food to them in the living room. When the three of them began to play video games, they barely stopped for anything. "What took so long?" Tom snapped at her. She took a deep breath and didn't respond. He shoveled two huge bites into his mouth. "Mom is coming for lunch next Sunday after church." His mouth was so full that he spit a bit of food with each word.

"Are we eating here?" Amber asked the rhetorical question, knowing the answer. She was always expected to cook for his family. His mother hated her food, so she had no idea why. But Tom's mother refused to dine out unless it was her idea.

* * *

Amber was glad to have Tom and the boys out of the house during the day. She hurried through her chores so that she could start her serious research for her escape. Amber was excited that her goal was moving forward. Her starting her next life was the motivation that kept her going each day.

She turned on the computer and began Googling inexpensive states to live. She narrowed her choices to Nebraska, Alabama, Ohio, and Kentucky. Once she'd gotten that far, she started looking at weather and quickly eliminated Nebraska and Ohio. She was over the snow and cold winters that came with living in Long Island. Finally, she decided on Alabama… Birmingham to be exact. Nobody would ever imagine looking for her there.

Her alarm went off reminding her it was time to go pick up Will and TJ from baseball before making a quick trip to the grocery store. TJ would inevitably complain about going, but Amber had already planned to let the boys pick out their own breakfast cereal as well as chips for their lunches. She'd decided that if she wanted TJ to respect her, she was going to show him more respect. Amber was careful to clear her browser history and tuck her notes into her purse before shutting down the household computer.

She pulled up to the fields knowing the boys practiced close while not on the same team. Will finished first and came running to see her. They walked together over to the other field to find his big brother, who was casually talking to a friend, conveniently ignoring his stepmother until his coach came over and encouraged him to finish his conversation and leave. Amber mouthed a thank you to the coach as she gave him a small wave.

The boys raced to the car and were fighting over who got to sit the front seat when Amber got there. "You know the rules. Get in the back, both of you. When you learn to play nicely with each other, I might let you take turns."

Will climbed in behind the driver's seat and pulled on his seat belt. "Are we going home, Amber?"

She looked at him through the rearview mirror. "I have to make a quick stop at the store first." TJ gave an audible groan and crossed his arms. "We are out of some things at the house, and I thought I'd let you guys pick rather than me decide for you." Will's grin was enough reward for Amber as she headed for the store.

* * *

After getting home, Amber knew her plan had been somewhat successful when TJ helped bring in the groceries without being asked. He left Will to help put the food up and went back out to get both baseball bags. Amber had let them pick out after-school snacks, too. They each chose a goodie as Amber set a timer for twenty-minutes of game time before an hour of homework time. She found creating the boys a schedule and setting the timer helped keep down the arguments.

Since there had been no outbursts thus far, Amber considered today a win. She got out her basket of supplies and began to work on the custom doll orders from Saturday. She couldn't help a grin from spreading across her face when she looked at the first custom order she'd taken. The little girl's mom had requested a lamb with red wool and blue eyes. Her daughter was going to love it!

By the time the boys had finished their homework, dinner was ready. Of course, Tom was "working late" and missed dinner again. The conversation between the three was surprisingly pleasant. Amber made a note to think of other responsibilities she could give TJ where he would feel like he was valuable and contributing. When both boys rushed to the living room to play video games, Amber calmly called them back and reminded them to come back to put their dishes in the sink.

"Sorry, Amber," TJ muttered.

"Yeah, sorry," Will chimed in.

Amber finished cleaning up the kitchen then went back to the living room to get some more knitting done. If only she could make these kinds of strides with her husband. She still felt she made plenty of wrong choices in her life, but at least she wouldn't be so miserable if Tom would change his ways.

* * *

When Amber went up to tuck Will into bed, he surprised her by asking for a book. He was getting a little old for some of the books in his room, so she went to grab one of hers.

"What's this one?"

"I thought we'd read one of mine. It's longer, so maybe a chapter a night?" Will nodded happily. "_A Wrinkle in Time_ by Madeleine L'Engle. It was a dark and stormy night," Amber started. "In her attic bedroom Margaret Murry, wrapped in an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of her bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind. Behind the trees, clouds scudded frantically across the sky. Every few moments the moon ripped through them, creating wraithlike shadows that raced along the ground. The house shook. Wrapped in her quilt, Meg shook."

"Is she afraid of the storm?" Will's voice was full of wonder.

"No Will. Listen." Amber picked up reading. "She wasn't usually afraid of weather. 'It's not just the weather,' she thought. 'It's the weather on top of everything else. On top of me.' On top of Meg Murry doing everything wrong." Amber thought to herself this was entirely appropriate for her situation. She continued to read until she reached the end of the first chapter.

As she glanced out into the hallway, she could see TJ's legs sticking out as he leaned up against the wall outside the door. She made a big deal of putting a bookmark where she'd stopped reading and tucking Will in so TJ would have time to sneak back to his bedroom. Before she went downstairs, she stuck her head into his room to find he was on his side, curled away from the door. "Night, TJ," she whispered.

* * *

The rest of the week went smoothly with the boys with only a few quarrels between them and not much backtalk. TJ brought home science test he failed and insisted his dad had to sign it so he could take it back to school the next day. Of course, Tom didn't make it home until late and didn't bother to sign it before falling into bed.

TJ about lost his shit, screaming and yelling the next morning about needing his dad's signature. Amber said she'd sign it for him and send a note for his teacher. TJ snatched it from her hands and stuffed it in his backpack. "No. You aren't my mother."

Amber tried not to let this get to her since the teenager had made such strides that week. She let the outburst go and drove the boys to school. When Amber pulled up in front of the middle school, TJ thrust the test towards his stepmother. Not saying anything, she signed it and wished him a good day.

* * *

The next Saturday, Amber told Jessica about the improvements in her older stepson's behavior. "I hope he keeps it up. Now if I could only whip his dad into shape." She finally told her friend about Tom's consistent lateness and the same perfume on his shirt collar every night when he came home. "I don't love him, Jessica. Is that wrong?"

"I think it's more wrong to stay with the man when you don't love him. Why don't you get divorced? Then you wouldn't have to go into hiding. You could get a job doing what you love and be happy."

"That's the problem. I could never divorce Tom. He wouldn't let me. His father is an attorney and has connections in the family court. They would draw it out forever and make me miserable. Then I'd have to spend my entire savings on a lawyer for myself. When Tom finds out about my doll-making business, I would probably end up being ordered to pay child support for kids I'm not even related to. No, my plan stands."

The morning at the farmers' market was fruitful for both women. Amber did sell out this time and got a fistful of custom requests. When the woman who ordered the red-wooled lamb came by without her daughter, she shrieked in delight. "Amber, this is adorable. You do such amazing work. Is the farmers' market the only place you sell?"

When Amber told her it was, the woman immediately announced she should go into e-commerce. "You would sell so many more that way." Amber explained that the farmers' market generated just the right amount of work for her to be able to offer the one-week turnaround time, which was essential to her and popular with her customers. "Well if you ever change your mind, let me know. I can help you set your online business and get you going. You have my card!"

As the happy customer left, Jessica said, "well wasn't she the exuberant one? I do wish you could sell online, but I know why you can't."

"Maybe in my next life."

* * *

At lunch, Amber seemed distracted, pushing her salad around her plate without eating much. "You sure are lost in thought Amber. You okay?" Jessica put her hand on her friend's arm and rubbed up and down soothingly.

"Hmmm, yeah. I have made so many plans and am dying to bounce them off somebody. But I'm afraid if I tell you everything, Tom will find you and get everything out of you. He's evil and devious. Then he'll find me and do who knows what." She turned her arm over and grabbed Jessica's hand to squeeze.

"Tom doesn't even know me, knows _nothing_ about me. I think it's a good idea to talk to me about things – together; we can make sure you have all your bases covered. You are making a pretty big move, and any mistakes would be tragic at this point."

Amber went through everything she'd done up to this point. She had decided on an inexpensive city in which she could easily get lost. She knew how to unlock her phone to change SIM cards for a new number so she could buy prepaid data without the expense of a new phone. Amber had calculated how long her money would last as well as jobs in the Birmingham area. "I am thankful that Tom has been an ass in one way – my car. He makes me drive the car I had in college and means it's still in my name. Hondas are reliable, and my Accord is in good shape."

Jessica reminded her she would need to register her car in the new state, and Tom might be able to track her down that way. "I have a sleaze-bag of a cousin who runs a used car lot. Let's look up the value of your car. I'm sure Bumper would buy yours, for cash, and keep his mouth shut if you make him a good enough offer. He plays dumb well. Well, sometimes I don't think it's an act," she laughed. Amber put her car's value on the list of other things to research.

"If all that wasn't enough, my mother-in-law is coming for lunch on Sunday," Amber groaned. "The house is already spotless, but I'm worried about the food. Last time she complained I fed the family too much starch. I think this time I'll make lasagna but substitute noodles with zucchini strips."

Jessica helped her with suggestions to round out the menu – a salad, roasted Brussel sprouts, and garlic bread. Amber assured her the boys loved her sprouts, so those were safe choices.


	3. Escaping Hell

The next day, Amber again went over the house with a fine-tooth comb to ensure the cleanliness was on a level suitable with what was expected by her mother-in-law. Knowing the time the woman typically showed up, Amber had the meal ready to be served.

"TJ, Will! Would you please help me set the table?" Amber knew they were in the living room playing video games and could hear her. She stepped to the door, wiping her hands on a towel. "Boys?"

They ignored her, but she didn't want to upset them before their grandmother arrived. So she set the table herself and put the salad and bread baskets out, leaving space for the lasagna and Brussels sprouts.

Amber heard the door open and stiffened. Only her husband's mother entered their house without bothering to knock. She rolled her eyes to herself, glad she had lunch ready in the nick of time. The boys happily greeted their grandmother, probably due to the presents she always brought. As bad as Tom spoiled his boys, his mother was ten times worse.

"Amber," she coldly said as she looked around the room looking for things to criticize. "This living room is a _mess_." She glared at her daughter-in-law. "What _do_ you do with your time all day? My son makes sure to earn a damned good living so you can stay at home and care for the house and my lovely grandsons." She tsked as she turned her nose up to her daughter-in-law. "Your house should be _spotless_."

"TJ put up the game controllers." Amber kept her calm as she ignored the irritating woman. She was used to the verbal lashing her mother-in-law inevitable handed out at every visit. "Will, would you please tell your father lunch is ready?"

Amber spent most of the lunch gritting her teeth and not responding to the woman's vicious snipes and slashing verbal cuts. Last time there was too much starch in the meal. This time, it was "who on earth serves lasagna made with vegetable noodles? I'm sure my men would prefer regular pasta." Sunday lunch would not be over soon enough for Amber's liking.

* * *

Amber's daily life slogged on, step by step, chore by chore – grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, and making sure the boys got to their activities. She felt as if her life was a never-ending _Groundhog Day_ movie_. _ TJ's attitude swung back and forth like a pendulum on a grandfather clock. She could never tell when he would be calm or what would set him off. Often, she felt she would take a step forward only to be knocked two steps back.

The only sanity in her life was getting ready for her disappearing act. To make things easier when the big day arrived, while Tom and the boys were gone, Amber began to sort through her clothes, donating unwanted items to charity. She also downsized what was left of her personal belongings, keeping only a few pictures and her diploma which she never bothered having framed.

While she wasn't planning on using her current name when she fled the state, she gathered up all her relevant documents – social security card, birth certificate, passport, university transcripts, etc. One thing she hadn't figured out how to do was to get a job without proper identification. Getting an actual new identity was way too costly and more illegal than she cared to try. Amber hoped she'd saved enough money not to have to work for a while. She was counting that by the time she had to use her actual identity, Tom would have stopped looking for her.

As time progressed, she and Tom argued more and more. And the more they fought, the more disagreeable TJ became. The older boy was feeding off his father's energy. But another sanity in her life was Will asking her to read from _A Wrinkle in Time_ every night. Sometimes she saw TJ listening outside the door while others he sulked in his room. Amber decided that once she finished reading the book to Will, she would be making her move.

* * *

As Amber got through the last chapters of the book, Jessica took her shopping for the things she would need but couldn't keep at the house such as toiletries and a new SIM card. Amber also got a few large duffle bags and hid them in the trunk of the car. She didn't think the boys would notice.

"I feel bad about leaving Will. Since we've been reading every night, he rarely reacts to TJ's outbursts." Amber found herself feeling guilty at leaving the boy. "He lost his mom at such a young age, and now I'm disappearing on him, too."

Jessica reminded her of the reasons why she was leaving, and as hard as it was going to be on the boy, she couldn't be responsible for that. "He has a father who is the root cause of you going. I'm sorry, Amber. You have to leave. You are not responsible for Will nor his emotions. The fault rests squarely on Tom's shoulders."

"You're right." Chloe exhaled a large breath, blowing her hair out of her face. "I'm exhausted from washing his clothes saturated in another woman's perfume. Then… last week, I found some interesting receipts in his pants pockets. One was from a drug store for condoms and flavored lube." She made a gagging sound. "This lovely receipt was accompanied with one from a no-tell motel not too far from the house." Amber rolled her eyes. "I tucked these receipts in my paperwork files for a bit of proof of his marital indiscretions if I later need it."

Amber then stopped in the hair care aisle in front of the hair coloring. "Do you think I should change my appearance? Bleach or dye my hair?"

Jessica gasped. "Goodness no, Amber. Your hair is beautiful just as it is – you wouldn't be you without trademark red curls." She reached up and tweaked one of the red curls, watching it spring back into place. "I'm afraid changing that would alter your personality. You are going far away. I don't think you need to go that dramatic."

They decided that next Saturday was the final day Amber would spend on Long Island. Tom would be expecting her to be out of the house anyway. She could pack her car Friday night and leave as usual on Saturday. The farmers' market was closed that day due to a special event being put on by the city. Amber would meet Jessica at Bumper's car lot and arrange for a different car.

That week while Tom was at work or wherever and the boys at school, Amber quickly packed up her things she was taking, leaving just enough not to raise suspicion until she disappeared. Friday evening, she went through the house, checking off her mental checklist of things she needed to make sure she had. Tom would assuredly be home way late – if he even came home at all – so she packed the rest of her stuff, leaving out only what she'd wear the next day. She was tempted to leave a note, at least for Will, but talked herself out of it. Amber didn't want anyone to realize she was missing and not coming back until she was far away from Long Island.

* * *

The next morning, Amber met Jessica at her cousin's used car lot. Bumper was… interesting. She let Jessica deal with her cousin as she wandered the car lot looking at vehicles. She opened the door of an older model Civic and slid into the driver's seat. Amber was leaning towards getting another Honda because of their reliability. Amber had a thousand-mile trip ahead of her, and there was no telling when she could get a new car.

Bumper approached her and leaned up against the car. "Nice choice. She has new tires, and I just had her serviced. I know people say never to trust a used car salesman, but frankly, I'm terrified of Jessica. I wouldn't steer you wrong" He laid out the offer which included trading in her newer Accord for the Civic with the remainder in cash. "With a healthy 'silence fee.' If anyone ever comes looking for you, I won't have anything to say to them."

Amber agreed to Bumper's terms and transferred her belongings to her new car while he worked up the paperwork. "I have to put a name on the registration then you can re-register the vehicle when you get to wherever you are going. Since you don't have a permanent address, I'll have Jessica pick up the paperwork. What name do you want on the title?"

The redhead thought for a few moments. "Chloe. Chloe Beale."

* * *

Chloe Beale nee Amber said tearful, heartfelt goodbyes to her only friend and promised to keep in touch as she made her journey to Birmingham. She wasn't in any hurry as she only had someplace to go, but nowhere she had to be. Chloe decided to make the sixteen-hour trip over two or three days. If she got far enough today, she could spend the night in Durham. She'd always wanted to see North Carolina.

She plugged her phone with her newly activated SIM card into the car's sound system, picked a playlist, and started driving out of the city. The weight of a thousand worlds was lifted from her shoulders the moment she got off Long Island. For the first time in quite some time, she found herself singing at the top of her lungs to her favorite songs and feeling happy. Free.

Amber… no Chloe made stops whenever she wanted. She had to remind herself to use her new name. It would take some getting used to, but then again – so would freedom. She had a Big Gulp soda in her cup holder and a bag full of chips and candy bars on the passenger seat. She typically didn't pork out on junk food, but she was going all out for this road trip.

Singing her favorite tunes at the top of the lungs, made her not even realize how far she was driving. She made it to Durham in about eight hours and found a small motel on the outskirts of town, not too dingy but inexpensive. She asked the desk clerk where she might get something to eat. He gave her directions to a local diner a few blocks away.

Chloe instinctively sat towards the back of the diner where she could see the door. Despite believing (maybe) that Tom had no way of knowing where she was, part of her was still nervous he'd coming striding into the building to grab her by the arm and haul her back to Long Island. Sometimes the man had a second sense where Chloe was concerned.

The server brought her a glass of water and asked if she was ready to order. "I can't decide," Chloe chirped. "What's good here?" The girl stood there, staring at her chomping on her gum. "Okay then, what would _you_ eat?"

"Burger."

"Then I'll take a cheeseburger with mayo on the side, no fries, and a salad with Ranch dressing." She flashed a broad smile at the sullen waitress trying to melt some ice of the worker's exterior.

"Aren't you a bright, sunshiny rainbow today?" The woman stared at Chloe and kept a dour look on her face.

"I'm having a super fantastic day," Chloe peered at the woman's name tag, "Sally. Smile! You'd be amazed at how that alone makes you feel better." Today, a smile would come second only to knowing she was beginning her first full day of complete liberty – her next life had begun.

The waitress turned to put in the order, but the redhead could hear her sarcastically chuckling as she walked away. Chloe was speaking the truth. Her day had been perfect. She had started her next life, her wrong choices nullified; she was happier than she had been in a long time.

After Chloe finished her salad and cheeseburger, she glanced around the diner and saw a glass pie tower. She went over to see what kind of pies were for sale. Her waitress meandered over to help her. "How's the lemon meringue pie?" When Sally told her it was her favorite, Chloe ordered a piece.

Not many customers were in the diner. She watched as Sally pour herself a cup of coffee and have a seat on a barstool. Chloe got her attention and waved her knife and fork at the server, indicating she wanted another set. "And another plate please."

By the time Sally returned to the table, Chloe had cut her pie in half. She slid part of it to the spare plate and pushed it towards the waitress. "I could never eat all of this." Sally looked at her with a strange look on her face, murmured a thank you and went back to the counter to enjoy her pie.

When Chloe went to pay the bill, she noticed Sally hadn't charged her for the pie. She added that amount to the tip to repay the server for her kindness. She knew she would need to be frugal with her money. But this was her first day of freedom. Her next life.

* * *

Chloe slept in as late as she wanted on Sunday. There were no boys to make breakfast for and no husband to clean up after. The night before, she had clipped the blackout blinds together to keep light from leaking into her room before she was ready to get up. Next, she knew, she awoke to the sound of the service carts rolling on the sidewalk past her door. A glance at her phone told her she'd slept until almost eleven in the morning that was unheard of in her previous life.

She made a cup of wretched motel room coffee while she took a quick shower. She choked down the burnt, nasty caffeine while she dressed then tossed her bag back in her car. Hungry, she headed over to the diner for breakfast. Sally greeted her with a smile this time. She brought Chloe a cup of much better coffee and a glass of water along with a menu. "Good morning," Chloe said brightly.

"It's almost afternoon. Stick to a standard egg and breakfast meat fare. It's the best we have." Sally went over to clear a few tables before returning to take Chloe's order. Two eggs sunny side up, bacon, wheat toast, and fruit. Chloe asked for the diner's wi-fi password and started surfing the web while she waited on her food.

She established an e-mail address with her new name then pulled up a room sharing site in Birmingham to look for places to stay, one that wouldn't run an extensive background check or ask many questions at all. She didn't need much, just a safe place to sleep while she knitted her dolls and looked for other employment. She found one woman looking to share a two-bedroom apartment and a man who needed a long-term sublet while he was out of the country with work. Chloe e-mailed them both from her new e-mail. She also e-mailed Jessica to let her know she was okay.

The café was slow, and when Sally brought the order, she stayed and chatted a while. Chloe learned she had two daughters – ages three and six months. The girl's father had taken off when she got pregnant a second time, and Sally was in the middle of battling through the court system to get child support from the loser. Luckily the girls both had access to CHIP for medical insurance, and the family received food stamps to ensure the girls were well fed.

Chloe could tell the waitress was lonely for adult dialogue. Luckily, she kept the conversation going herself and didn't ask many questions. After Chloe paid the check, she went to the car and got two of her knitted dolls from the trunk of her car. When she gave them to Sally, the waitress began to cry and asked if she could hug Chloe.

When Chloe got back in her car, she had to sit for a few minutes, composing herself. Moments like that in life made living worthwhile, especially as a woman no longer chained down by an oppressive husband and horrible life.

* * *

The weather was beautiful outside, and Chloe didn't stop for another four hours when she got to Greenville, North Carolina. She filled up with gas and stretched her legs. Chloe also checked her e-mail. She had a message from Jessica that made her smile and another from the man who was looking to sublet his condo. He told her that he wasn't looking for a true sublet where someone takes over the lease, more like someone to pick up his mail and water his plants while he was out of the country.

Chloe wrote him back and let him know she wouldn't be in Birmingham until later that night but maybe they could meet the next morning. She gave him her phone number and told him if that's something he was interested in, to text her with a time and place. Before she left the gas station, she had a message.

_[Unknown: Hey, Chloe, this is Nick, the guy with the condo. I'd love to meet you since I'm leaving in two days! I am getting worried I won't find anyone.]  
__[Unknown: How about we meet at a coffee shop by my place around 9 tomorrow. Then you can also see the place.]  
__[Unknown: Unless one of us is a freak.]_

Chloe chuckled and responded that she'd meet him there.

_[Chloe: I'll be the one with alien antennas.]_

Knowing she had a prospective place to stay made the rest of Chloe's drive much more pleasant, not that she was having a bad day. Perhaps a better way to put it was Chloe was feeling more comfortable with her choice to disappear from Long Island.


	4. Arriving in Birmingham

Chloe found a motel near the address of the coffee shop she was meeting Nick at the next day. She had snacked the entire drive and decided not to eat dinner. Chloe took her travel bag and knitting basket into her room and relaxed as she spent most of the evening knitting. The redhead was amazed at how much more tranquil she felt knitting in a hotel room than she ever did in Tom's house.

She thought that if she could find a place to sell her dolls, perhaps Chloe could build a following as she had in Long Island. If she could get her doll business running, she may not have to find a real job for a bit. Chloe knew the booth fees at a farmers' market could be high, but perhaps she could find an arrangement with someone like she had with Jessica. Help at a booth in exchange for some table space; she barely needed more than a square foot or two – enough to display a few cuties to draw people over.

The redhead woke up the next morning with plenty of time to spare. She had ironed a cute sundress the night before, trying to make a good impression on Nick. She felt remarkable once she got dressed. She hadn't worn 'sunshiny clothes' in quite some time. She never felt like being 'cute' for Tom.

Nick had texted his picture, and Chloe didn't see him when she arrived. She ordered a cup of coffee along with a blueberry bagel and took her breakfast to a table where they wouldn't be in the mix of things, more conducive to talking. As she took a small bite, she saw him come in the door and gave a little wave. Nick got his order and went to the table, shaking her hand before taking his seat.

The two talked for quite a while, neither keeping track of the time. Chloe kept her answers vague but shared enough not to make Nick suspicious she was hiding anything. When he asked why she was in Birmingham, she responded that she was getting a fresh start in life, a reboot if you will.

"Wow, it's afternoon," Nick exclaimed after looking at his watch. "I didn't mean to keep you so long."

"I don't have any place else to go," Chloe giggled.

"How do you feel about this?" He motioned to space between them. "Would you like to see my place?"

Soon the two were walking the few blocks to Nick's condo. His place was in an old warehouse that someone had divided into units. He slid open the large door and ushered her inside. "It's a rather small one bedroom, but I do have an artist's loft with a futon. I don't get up there as much as I used to, but it's nice to have when the painting bug hits me." The condo was full of natural light being a corner unit with the two exterior outside walls being all windows. "The windows open to the outside which is a bonus for the plants."

After they spent some time touring the condo, Nick looked at Chloe hopefully. "What do you think?" She returned his look, afraid to respond. "Are you interested?"

Chloe let out a breath of air she didn't know she was holding and clasped her hands together in front of her. "Yes!" Her voice exhibited her enthusiasm. "I love it. Do you have parking?" Nick replied he had one reserved spot which came with the unit but that his downstairs neighbor didn't have a car and was willing sometimes to loan out the slot.

While Long Island had lots of mass transit in the form of subways and buses and her research told her Birmingham had a stable bus system, Chloe couldn't imagine being without a car. "I don't know how people do it." Nick looked at her strangely. "Live without a vehicle."

"Oh, she drives a motorcycle."

When Nick and Chloe sat down to discuss the details of their arrangement, Chloe was shocked at how little Nick was charging her for rent. When she protested, he told her she was basically doing him a favor by keeping his plants alive, collecting his mail, and watching after the place.

"I don't have a checking account. I stick to using cash," Chloe said nervously, concerned Nick would question her means.

Nick didn't blink and eye and told her he'd leave her a stack of deposit slips, and she could make deposits whenever she got paid. "Ummm thanks for doing this Chloe. I'm leaving tomorrow but have a good feeling about this." He gave her an extra key and told her she was welcome to move in any time. "Make yourself at home."

* * *

"I can't believe my luck, Jess. This place is so nice, and the guy is super sweet." Chloe paused and listened. "I don't know if he's cute. I didn't pay attention to what he looked like! You _know_ I'm not looking for anything. Plus, he'll be out of the country for who knows how long." She giggled that Jessica had even asked her that question.

Jessica told her she sounded happy and not to get depressed when she missed her at the farmers' market on Saturday. Chloe said she was still knitting and was going to head out to some local places to see if she could mooch some space from someone's booth. They talked a little longer before Jessica reminded Chloe of the time difference and that she needed to get some sleep.

"Goodnight Jess. I love you."

* * *

The next morning, Chloe awoke to a text from Nick that he was on his way to the airport and not to do anything he wouldn't do. She chuckled as she realized he could become an excellent friend. Then Chloe realized the text meant she could move into 'her new place.' She quickly packed up her motel room, checked out, and headed to the loft. She had decided to call it a loft, which sounded considerably more chill than a condo.

When she unlocked the door, she found Nick had left her a long note – the access code to the wi-fi, how to connect her phone to his sound system, watering schedule for the plants, location of the nearest grocery store, and a few of his favorite restaurants. After lugging her things to the sleeping area, she checked the refrigerator and pantry to see what food was there. She then set off to eat some breakfast and go to the grocery store.

As she pushed her basket through the aisles of the grocery store, Chloe was amazed at how calm she felt. Even the wobbly shopping-cart wheel didn't irritate her as it would have in her former life. Granted, she often shopped alone on Long Island; she wasn't shopping today for a family of four. Nor did she have to remember everyone's unique food choices; she was buying just for her. Finding cuts of meat small enough for one was a bit more complicated. She only purchased one tiny package of chicken and made a mental note to find a local meat market where the butcher would cut the meat to her specifications, only the amount of meat she wanted.

Soon, she was back at the loft with her groceries put up. Nick had been apologetic when he explained he didn't have a television. Secretly Chloe was delighted. She was tired of sports and TV shows and random noise. Chloe welcomed the solitude, the sound of silence as she liked to refer to it. If she later found she wanted a TV, she could buy one. But for now, she'd knit in peace and quiet or with some background music playing from her phone.

* * *

After she relaxed a while, Chloe did some more exploration of Nick's loft. She found a tiny stackable washer and dryer which made her happy. She'd been dreading trying to find a laundry mat and lugging her clothes down there to get them clean. Chloe unpacked enough to dig out her dirty laundry from her travel days and decided that was enough to do a load. While those clothes washed, she properly unpacked the rest.

Nick had cleared out a lot of space when he packed for his trip and left her room for her clothes. She also found a rod upstairs in the artists loft on which she could hang her dresses and whatnot. Once her laundry was done and put up, Chloe found herself sitting on the couch, enjoying the stillness. No Tom bitching about things she hadn't gotten done. No stepsons bickering or calling her names. Nothing.

Chloe cranked open two of the windows to let in some breeze then did something totally unheard of for her. She took a nap.

* * *

After Chloe woke up and energized, she began to explore the wall of books Nick had in the front room. She pulled down a few of the more interesting sounding ones, excited since she couldn't remember the last time she read a real book. Then Chloe decided to text Nick. She knew he was over an ocean somewhere, but he'd get a kick out of it.

_[To Nick: Guess what? The plants are still alive.]  
__[To Nick: Love your books!]  
__[To Nick: Travel safe.]_

The redhead settled down with the first book she had decided on and was well into a fantasy world, still enjoying her peace when the silence was shattered by a loud vroom-vroom of a motorcycle revving its engine from the street below. When she got on her knees and peered out the window to the parking lot below, she heard a screeching rear tire and watched as the dark-colored motorcycle peeled off down the alley.

* * *

_[To Chloe: Oh, you can read after all. Ha ha]  
__[To Chloe: I left my library card in the desk drawer. Help yourself!]  
__[To Chloe: P.S. Three cheers for the plants.]_

Chloe laughed at the messages Nick had answered her sometime during the night. She was happy to know he had made it safely.

She had left Long Island nearly a week ago, almost without looking back. Chloe was tempted to try to find out how Will was doing then realized that would defeat the purpose of her disappearing without a trace. To keep herself occupied, she had decided to head to one of the Saturday farmers' markets and wander around.

Chloe had a small, transparent bag in which she strategically put a handful of her knitted dolls and, out of habit, included her custom order book and some forms. She knew shoppers at the markets were unpredictable and wanted to be able to take advantage of any possible sale she could get. Despite the large amount of cash she had disappeared with, Chloe wanted to ensure she didn't have to try to find a real job.

She selected another cute sundress, white with red polka dots, and a floppy straw hat. She loved dressing how she felt – happy. Chloe didn't think she'd ever get tired of the newfound feeling of independence. She loved walking around the farmers' market and seeing the regional things that differed from the market she and Jessica sold out of in Long Island.

Chloe came across a stall that had several things she wanted but hadn't gotten at the store – kale, large homegrown tomatoes, berries, and local honey. She made her selections and found the worker. As Chloe dug in the bottom of her bag for her wallet, she had to put her dolls under her arm. After paying, she put her purchases in the bottom of the bag and was about to put the dolls on top.

"Oh, look, how adorable." Two women stopped Chloe. "Where did you get those darlings? What booth? My granddaughter would eat that up like homemade grape jelly on a slice of toast."

Chloe flashed her biggest smile. "These? I make them."

"Well, where's your booth, dear? I want to see what all you have." The woman was very persistent.

The redhead backed up out of the flow of traffic and set her bag on the ground to pull out the others she had with her. "I'm new here, from out of state. I don't have a booth yet." The women each took two of her dolls to examine them. "Ummm I do custom dolls if you are interested." Chloe pulled out her book. "Let me know, and I can get you an order form."

While the women were looking through the design book, she turned to the vendor and apologized. "I am so sorry for blocking your booth."

"It's okay Red. We all like to help each other here. Besides more people are coming over here to hear why those two hens are cackling. We'll talk when you get a break."

One woman ordered a custom doll while the other ordered two. Because she wasn't sure where she would be, Chloe refused pre-payment and had them write their phone numbers on the slips. "I'll let you know where to meet me next Saturday." By this time, several other people had gotten hold of her design book and were filling out forms.

"Pretty popular dolls," the vendor said. "Who would have thought?"

"I know, right?"

"You looking to get a booth? Rent is reasonable, but they make you jump through all kinds of application hoops." Chloe's heart sank as her hopes of getting a booth of her own were dashed. She couldn't risk putting her name to any paper at this point. "You worked a farmers' market before?" The tall, dark-haired vendor was curious about the doll maker who had appeared from nowhere.

Chloe explained how she helped a friend out at the market where she used to live be in exchange for a small bit of table space. "It was nice having two people for when the rush of people arrives," Chloe explained before turning back around to talk to the people who were trying to give her order forms.

While the crowd around Chloe had dwindled, the vendor spoke again. "I'm Stacie." She offered her hand as Chloe introduced herself. "I might be interested in a bit of help here. I can certainly give up some room for your cute dolls. They seem to draw customers in, and I could use the business. My husband keeps our daughter, so it's just me on Saturdays."

"Seriously?"

"As a heart attack." The brunette grinned at her. "Handle your customers. We'll talk after the market shuts down."

Chloe took about a dozen more orders, all stemming from word of mouth, and two little girls running around carrying two of the dolls she'd sold their moms. And she might have found a booth partner. Her next life was looking brighter every day.

* * *

After the market closed and the crowds had dwindled, Chloe began to help Stacie pack up her booth. Produce were harder to handle than the crafts Jessica made, but Chloe wanted to prove her worth. About the time everything was stacked and ready to be hauled to Stacie's vehicle, a dark-haired man walked up carrying a young girl who was the spitting image of Stacie. "Chloe, this is my husband, Donald. Donald, this is Chloe."

"Nice to meet you, Chloe." Donald seemed nice enough. He passed the little girl off to her mom and began to wheel the veggies to their truck.

"Bella, this is Ms. Chloe. Can you say hi?" The shy girl waved and offered a very quiet hello.

"Aren't you adorable?" Chloe loved kids, well young, well-behaved kids. And Bella fit that description. "Bella, do you like dolls?" Bella nodded her head before hiding her face in her mama's hair. Chloe pulled the larger of the two dolls remaining in her bag and held it out for Bella. "I'd like to give this to you if it's okay with your mama."

Bella's eyes lit up and leaned back to look at her mom. "Would you like that, baby?" Bella nodded her head furiously and stretched out her tiny hands. She pulled the doll into her face and giggled as she smooshed it. "What do you say, Bella?"

"Tanks Ms. Cwoee."

"Thank you, Chloe. How much are they?"

"Nothing for my new business partner."

Stacie and Chloe exchanged phone numbers and arranged to meet later in the week for lunch to discuss details of their arrangement.


	5. Getting Ready for Business

Chloe left the market exhausted, forgetting how tiring it was to be around so many people and standing up for so long. She found a cute little café on Yelp and stopped in for a bite to eat. The two dolls she sold unexpectedly gave her $30 she hadn't anticipated and decided to reward herself by eating out.

After her late lunch, she packed up her leftovers and went in search of a print shop – the kind where you can design and print cheap business cards quick. As she sat in front of the design computer, she downloaded a few stock pictures of knitted dolls like the ones she made.

The hard part was coming up with a name. Businesses had to have a name, right? She finally decided on a name and designed the card with the doll graphics, her phone number, and e-mail address. The worker printed off a proof for her to double-check. After she scrutinized it and approved it, she ordered fifty cards and arranged to pick them up in two days.

* * *

Back at the loft, she FaceTimed Jessica. "Jess. Jess. Jess. Guess what?"

"Chloe. Chloe. Chloe. What?" Jessica was delighted to see Chloe so buoyant and happy.

"I went to a farmers' market today."

"I'm jealous because I missed you at ours today. Lots of people came looking for you." Jessica stuck out her lip in a mock pout. "I had to tell them you skipped the country searching for your fortune on a small island."

"Whatever." Chloe loved her friend teasing her. "As I was saying – before being so rudely interrupted – I went to the market today and sold half the dolls I took; okay, I only took four. But I got fifteen custom orders! And I found someone willing to share her booth with me. Isn't that amazing?"

"Awww replacing me so quickly?" Jessica kidded. "Seriously that's awesome Chlo. I'm happy for you. Hey, Bumper asked how your car did on whatever long trip you took. I think he's afraid of me."

"He's scared for sure," Chloe giggled. "Let him know the car did great. I'm so thankful for what he did to help me, Jessica."

"I'm sure he'll be glad to know the vehicle is working well for you. His kindness wasn't as painless as he thought it would be though." Jessica continued to tell Chloe about Tom's visit to the dealership.

* * *

**_Flashback to Long Island_**

_"Stay in the car, boys. That's Amber's car, and I'm going to find out where she is."_

_Tom got out, slammed the door in anger, and went in search of the lot owner. He found Bumper and demanded to know how he came to have Amber's former Accord. Bumper stared at the tall man, not giving him an answer. _

_"That's my wife's car. And she's disappeared. I demand to know how my wife's car came to be on your lot."_

_Bumper shrugged with indifference. He didn't care one iota for this man and had promised both Amber and Jessica his lips would be sealed. When Tom returned to his car, the car salesman breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the asshole was leaving. Tom popped open his trunk and grabbed a tire iron. He returned to the Accord and smashed out one of the headlights._

_"Where is she, dude?" Tom was livid. He smashed the other light. He then smashed out a window as he took out his anger on the car._

_Bumper was shocked, frozen where he stood. This guy was batshit crazy. "Whoa, dude. I told you. I don't know where your wife is, but you gotta stop the abuse on my car." Bumper went towards Tom to try to stop him. Tom turned towards the used car salesman with a wild look in his eyes and raised a fist. Before Bumper could duck out of the way, Tom had punched him in the face before turning his attention back to smashing Amber's former car._

_There was a loud crack as Bumper's nose broke, then blood began to pour down his face. He had been knocked to the ground and quickly scrambled backward as he dug his cell phone from his pocket to call the police. Tom was so outraged that he did not realize how much damage he was doing, nor did he hear the police sirens until the squad car rolled up. Two officers jumped out and ordered him to throw down the tire iron. When Tom realized he was standing at gunpoint holding a tire iron, he immediately dropped it. One of the officers forced him to the ground and slapped handcuffs on his wrists._

_"Dad?" A small voice came from behind the group of men. "What's going on?" As the men turned, they saw the two young boys standing nearby, staring at their father. The smaller one was crying as he clung to the taller one. The other officer quickly guided them away from the scene, out of view of the incident and immediately called Child Services to come help with the situation._

_An ambulance came to check Bumper over and gave him an ice pack to alleviate some of the swelling on his face. Since Tom was in the officers' squad car with handcuffs on and out of earshot, Bumper was willing to share some details about how he obtained Amber's car._

_"That's all I know – not where she was going or anything. But the car was in her name, and I legally bought it. His name was not on the title, so I didn't owe him any information. When I told him that, he got pissed off."_

_When the Child Services representative arrived, she allowed Tom to call his mother to pick up the boys. When Tom's mother pulled up, TJ ran over and hugged her. Will wasn't as quick to greet his grandmother. "Nana, Amber's car is here. Does that mean she works here now?" Will's face was as hopeful as his voice was sad._

_His grandmother's reply was sharp. "No Will. Amber left. She left your daddy and both of you. She's gone. I say good riddance."_

_"But why, Nana? I miss her."_

_Tom's mother went on to reiterate that Amber had left and wasn't coming back. _

* * *

Hearing about Will's reaction tugged at Chloe's heartstrings. In her heart of hearts, she knew leaving had been for the best. Knowing that Tom had destroyed her car and punched Bumper in the process made her feel awful.

"Bumper said he was pressing charges, and Tom would be paying for the repairs to the vehicle. Plus the court has already granted a restraining order against Tom."

"Jessica, I never dreamed Tom would find my car. I can't believe he smashed it up and obliterated Bumper's face. I feel I need to do something for him to show my appreciation for him keeping his end of the bargain, maybe a bonus? Does he drink?" Jessica said whiskey was his drink of choice.

Chloe let Jessica know she'd Venmo some money and asked for her to get a rare, unique blend of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost whiskey. "I think he'd be impressed. Thank him for me. Again."

Chloe sighed. "I have to figure out how to title it and get insurance here pretty soon." She gave Jessica her address at the loft so she could send the title to once it arrived from the Department of Motor Vehicles in New York.

"Why don't you try one of those legal aid places? See if you can get some advice." Jessica seemed to be better at coming up with excellent suggestions despite Chloe being the one who made the great escape.

* * *

After finishing her conversation with Jessica, Chloe began on the stack of doll orders she had collected that day. Despite having some already knitted, she liked to start the custom ones from the beginning. She believed that when a customer ordered a custom doll, it was the least she could do.

Stopping only to eat her leftovers from her late lunch, Chloe worked until the sun was no longer shining in the windows to light up the loft. She had made good progress on her knitting, so rather than turn on a bunch of lights, she decided to switch gears and continue reading her book.

On Tuesday, Chloe went to pick up her business cards. She could barely contain her excitement when she opened the box. She knew she was juvenile, but she documented the process — first, a pic of the sealed box. Then, the box with the lid askew. Finally, a few of the cards fanned out. She took a fourth picture, a selfie of her holding a card with a thumbs-up. She sent the photos to Jessica, knowing her friend would be excited at this stage in her next life.

When Stacie and Chloe met for lunch on Wednesday, Stacie had asked her new booth partner to bring her special orders book to learn more about her friend. "You have a broad selection, quite impressive."

Chloe blushed as she grinned at the compliment. "Most of the ideas come from customers. I learned to take pictures of the custom orders and put them in the book to expand the ideas for others. I can't take credit for the idea though. My friend Jessica came up with it."

"Regardless, they are adorable." Stacie looked at the new business card that Chloe slid over to her. "_Chloe's Cuddles_? That's even more delightful!" She flipped the card over, confusion spreading on her face. "Where are your social media tags?" When Chloe explained she didn't have an online footprint, Stacie was shocked. "Girl you need a Facebook and Instagram at the least. Let's set you up one now then get you some more business cards. Oh, and a little stand-up card for the booth!"

Chloe's gut tightened at the thought of being online. She zoned out Stacie's excitement as she fell into thoughts of Tom somehow finding her. "Chloe?" The redhead shook her head to clear her feelings and gave her attention back to her friend. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Sorry about that. I went into my private world a bit." She decided she did need to start living her life and break free from the fear of her husband. Stacie and Chloe decided no humans would be on either platform. Her favorite doll, Lucy, would be the face of _Chloe's Cuddles_. Stacie helped her with the basics of the two sites, and Chloe promised to upload plenty of pictures before Saturday.

"Bella has barely put hers down since you gave to her. I can imagine they are going to be extremely popular since I've never seen them in any of the booths around here. What do you charge?"

"The standard ones are normally $10 or $15 a pop. I make my money doing the custom ones where I can charge for special clothing and other specific requests."

Stacie thought for a moment. "I bet you could add just two dollars, and you could still sell plenty."

"I don't know," Chloe chuckled. "The round numbers are easier to work with when making change and all. Let's see how sales go this weekend, and I'll consider it."

"Deal. So, Chloe, proprietor of _Chloe's Cuddles_, tell me more about yourself. Who are you; where did you come from, and all that." Chloe froze. Her body began to shake slightly involuntarily. She trusted Stacie but not that much. Yet. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"I was sort of in a bad situation due to a lot of wrong choices I made in my life." Chloe decided to give the woman a small bit of background but not enough to expose herself. "Moving to Birmingham was my escape. My chance for my next life, a second life if you will." Stacie was quietly listening, perhaps partially understanding Chloe's story. The redhead told her about finding Nick and her luck in getting a place to live. Stacie could tell how happy Chloe was talking about her new and improved life and didn't pressure the woman for details she did not freely give.

"If there is ever anything I can do to help, let me know. I am glad you stopped at my booth last weekend. We are going to work well together."

Chloe began to pick at her nail cuticle nervously. She did trust Stacie enough for a few things. "I am looking for a low-cost legal aid place for some advice about my situation. Let me know if you know of anything?"

"I'll look into some things." Stacie's smile was warm and comforting. "For now, I need to go pick Bella up from daycare and get some shopping done. Thanks for the visit."

* * *

With no stepson duties or running an entire household, Chloe was able to rapidly finish all the custom orders as well as stock up on a slew of standard dolls. Those were all unique in their own sense but not nearly as fancy as the customs. She made a mix of animals and humans, genders, ethnicities, hair, and eye colors.

Once she was satisfied she had enough for this weekend, she began to look for a place to pose the dolls for pictures. Nick certainly had some exciting nooks in his loft. She ventured up to the artist's area and found a beautiful abstract painting leaning against the wall. She arranged it against the exposed brick wall where she could snap pictures with the natural light at her back.

_[To Nick: The plants are still alive! Hope you are well]  
__[To Nick: I used one of your paintings to advertise my dolls.]_

She sent an example picture of some of the dolls posing in front of the abstract.

_[To Nick: Check out my new Instagram and let me know if it's okay.]  
__[To Nick: I don't mind changing it – just looked cool. (nice painting)]_

Apparently, Nick was awake, or the messages woke him up because she got an immediate response.

_[To Chloe: Aren't you a little old to play with dolls? J/K]  
__[To Chloe: Those are cool.]  
__[To Chloe: If you become famous, you'll have to use some of my other works and hashtag me.]  
__[To Nick: Deal. Thanks.]  
__[To Chloe: P.S. Three cheers for the plants.]_

Chloe rummaged around and found some additional paintings. He seemed quite talented for an amateur painter. She decided to use a different work each week and made up a hashtag for her friend. Chloe lounged upstairs on the futon as she uploaded the pictures to her Facebook and Instagram. #chloescuddles and #artbynick tags marked on everything.

Once she finished, she sent Facebook friend requests to both Jessica and Stacie. Her phone immediately rang. "Chloe! I love this. You are so creative." Jessica was impressed with how far out of her shell her friend had come since leaving such a short while ago. They tossed around ideas about Chloe's order form that now needed redoing to accommodate the new ideas and social media.

She would need to spend some time at the print shop again with her order form and making custom price tags for the standard dolls. Keeping in mind what Stacie had suggested for pricing, she'd make only enough for the dolls currently had in case she did decide to raise her prices nominally.

* * *

Chloe arrived early at the farmers' market on Saturday. She found Stacie unloading the tables out of her truck. "Morning!" The pair carried the tables to Stacie's booth. Chloe stayed to set up the tables while Stacie went to get her produce. Not assuming anything, Chloe waited for Stacie to let her know where to put her dolls. Surprisingly, the dark-haired farmer gave her half a table on the far end of the booth. Chloe spread out a brightly patterned cloth and arranged her dolls and sign.

"Looks good Chloe. Give me a hand here?" The two finished setting up the produce stand quickly. "It's amazing how much more quickly set-up goes with two sets of hands. Thanks." Stacie briefly went over the pricing for the fruits and vegetables which didn't seem necessary as everything was well-marked. Chloe showed her the new tags she had made for the standard dolls on the table along with the order forms.

The traffic at the booth was non-stop all morning. The customers who had made custom orders the previous week all came by to pick theirs up. They left with brand spanking new dolls along with a few spare business cards to give to friends. Chloe was surprised to see how many of the stock dolls were scooped up. She sold out after a few hours. She kept Lucy as an example and promoted the custom dolls as an option to the people who had heard 'they simply had to check out _Chloe's Cuddles_.'

As they broke down the booth, Stacie started laughing. "Hate to say it, but I told you so. Are you going to raise your prices?"

"As much as I don't want to, supply and demand says yes. Making the change for these babies… that's going to be on you," Chloe teased.

Donald came by with Bella as they were finishing stacking leftover fruit and veggies for him to load. His task was much quicker since the booth traffic brought by Chloe's dolls spilled over to the produce stand. Stacie had sold substantially more than usual. As Chloe helped carry one of the tables to the truck.

Donald caught Chloe as she was getting ready to leave. "Stacie said you were looking for a legal aid clinic, someplace to go for some answers to questions you have." He glanced over at the redhead who was searching for how to respond. "I'm not sure if Stacie to you, but I'm an attorney. I volunteer every other Monday over at the homeless shelter. The shelter schedule always books in advance. But if you come by around five this Monday, I can talk to you after everyone else finishes." When Chloe still looked wary, he continued, "what we discuss is confidential. I can't even tell Stacie."

Chloe said she'd meet him Monday and thanked him for his discretion.

* * *

That evening as Chloe was relaxing with her book, she heard the familiar rumble of a motorcycle engine roaring to life. She knew what she would see but looked out the warehouse windows anyway. Chloe watched as the dark bike – with the familiar woman seen before peeled out of the lot. This time she got a better glimpse of the rider who was wearing black leathers and a dark helmet which matched the bike.

Chloe was irritated because the noise kept interrupting her peace then decided that she was lucky that motorcycle sound pollution was the only thing bothering her these days. But it irked her still the same.

* * *

Two days later, Chloe was nervously waiting at the shelter with a manila folder full of documents in her lap. She had done some investigation but wasn't sure if the arrangements were as easy as she had read.

When Donald invited her into the small office provided by the center, he asked her for a single dollar. "My retainer." He popped the bill, folded it, and stuck it in his pocket. "Now everything we talk about is protected under attorney-client privilege."

Feeling much more comfortable, Chloe told him everything. About Tom, his boys, her miserable life. "I secretly saved up enough money to escape Long Island. Traded my car for a different one and here I am. But there is so much I can _not_ do as Chloe Beale. I can't register my car or buy insurance. I need to change my name – then I can regain all the power I need to live a normal life."

Chloe pulled out a completed petition for a name change along with a list of things she needed to do if her name petition was granted, including changing the name on her social security card. "I know he could probably track me by my social security number, but I don't think he's that smart. If Tom's probably only searching for me by my name, if he's even looking at all."

Donald looked over all her paperwork and smiled. "Your ducks certainly are in a row, Chloe. You have the correct paperwork. However, if you had a lease agreement, I could guarantee the process would be much swifter. I'd also be able to handle all the other things that you need."

Chloe sighed in relief. "The sooner, the better."


	6. Meeting the Super

Chloe was optimistic about her conversation with Stacie's husband, feeling much better about her situation. She pulled into the parking slot designated for her loft and grabbed her doll bag from the backseat. As Chloe walked towards the door, she heard the recognizable sound of the resident motorcycle barreling down the alley. The redhead jumped back, thinking the bike was going to crash into her as it slid into the place the rider customarily parked.

When the rumbling silenced, Chloe couldn't help her snappy attitude as she shouted, "**You are _not_ a safe driver. Dangerous and inconsiderate with the noise of your infernal machine. Disrupting the peace of other residents**." The redhead crossed her arms and had a colossal scowl planted firmly on her face as she raised her voice at the driver.

The rider looked through the tinted faceplate of the helmet and dismounted the bike. As the helmet was pulled off, a shock of long, brown hair came tumbling out. Chloe found herself looking at the most gorgeous woman she had ever laid eyes on. Nick had said the motorcycle driver was a female; he just failed to mention how beautiful she was. While she wasn't confident at this distance, the girl's eyes looked to be a dark blue. Mesmerizing. Regardless, this was not enough to make Chloe any less irritated.

The woman looked Chloe up and down before turning to go into the warehouse. She gave no response to what Chloe had yelled or even an indication she'd even heard the angry woman. The redhead caught herself watching the woman's ass in the tight leather pants she wore before shaking herself out of her stupor and stomping upstairs to destress.

* * *

Chloe wasn't sure how she was going to get a lease since she technically wasn't living under one, so she decided to message Nick to see what he could do.

_[To Nick: Guess what? The plants are still alive. Imagine that.]  
__[To Nick: I have some legal things I need to take care of.]  
__[To Nick: Anyway, maybe you could write out an informal lease and scan it to e-mail?]_

After a while, Nick answered back.

_[To Chloe: I can do better than that. I e-mailed the building super, and she's going to write you an official one for six months – backdated to the day you moved in.]  
__[To Chloe: She lives in Unit 1A. Give her until tomorrow then stop by anytime.]  
__[To Nick: You are the best.]  
__[To Chloe: I know]  
__[To Chloe: P.S. Three cheers for the plants.]_

* * *

Chloe had brought home lots of vegetables from Stacie's (and her) stand Saturday and even had picked up some bananas one vendor was about to throw out they were borderline going bad. Chloe figured they were turning black because bananas don't exactly grow in the South! She made a menu for the rest of the week and took inventory of her kitchen once again. Because Chloe had bought her produce at the farmers' market, she didn't have as much to get at the store. This time she decided to walk. Once she found some reusable cloth bags in the front closet, she set off.

Chloe had her earphones in and was listening to music as she walked along the sidewalk. Her enjoyment was interrupted by the rumbling roar approaching her from behind. She Involuntarily let her irritation rise as the sound was becoming quite familiar. Chloe stopped and turned towards the street. She could have sworn the motorcycle slowed before revving its way past the redhead, rear tire peeling out as the motorcycle's front tire rose up in a wheelie. Chloe rolled her eyes, adjusted her earbuds, and continued her journey to the store.

Since moving to Birmingham, Chloe had begun to enjoy cooking again and baking. In Long Island, being in the kitchen was a chore – a necessary evil – which had sucked the enjoyment out of it. When she saw the browning bananas, she rescued them and decided to see if she could remember her banana bread recipe. She also picked up a set of those mini-loaf pans. She'd take one to the building super tomorrow as a thank you for helping with the lease and a few to Stacie's family.

As she turned out the mini-loaf pans, Chloe was pleased with how they looked. She sliced one to give it a taste nibble and gave a fake swoon. The banana bread was delicious, surprising since this was her first attempt in baking in many years. After they had sufficiently cooled, she wrapped one up in colored cellophane and tied a cute bow around it. She just hoped the building super liked banana bread.

* * *

The next morning, Chloe skipped down the stairs and stopped in front of unit 1A. Despite Nick's assurances, the lease would be waiting for her, she was nervous. Getting that document would give her proof of residency, the last step needed before petitioning for her name change which would allow her to settle into Birmingham as a real person, not merely a wife hiding from her abandoned family.

After taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door and held the banana bread in both her hands, glad to have something to keep them busy. She heard the security chain sliding out of its latch and the deadbolt disengaging. Chloe put her brightest smile on her face and waited for the door to swing open.

Imagine her surprise to see the person who answered the door. It was her. Motorcycle woman. Her eyes were indeed a deep blue, entrancing. Chloe's curiosity won out over her distaste for the woman who apparently was the building super. "Hi, I'm Chloe."

"I know." The woman's clipped response seemed to mirror her flat expression.

Chloe presented the loaf as an offering. "I hope you like banana bread. I made it fresh last night."

The woman took it and motioned for Chloe to come inside. "Thanks," she replied as she took the loaf. "I'm Beca."

"Nick said you were the building super?"

"I suppose you can say that." Beca wasn't the friendliest of people, but Chloe knew she had to be kind. "Nick's a good guy. He said you needed a six-month lease. I thought you two had an oral agreement." When Chloe explained she needed one for legal purposes, Beca narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You in trouble?"

"No!" Chloe's response was swift. "I need to prove residency. Is a lease going to be an issue?" Now she was nervous she wasn't going to get what she needed.

Beca shook her head. "Nope. As I said, Nick's a good guy. Perfect tenant. And even though _you_ don't like my driving abilities, Nick likes you." Beca pulled some paperwork out of a folder and pushed it towards Chloe. "There are two copies here. Sign both – I keep one, and the other is yours."

Chloe put her signature to paper and thanked Beca for her help. "I hope you like the banana bread."

* * *

Chloe spent her days relaxing, making up for the time she had spent in her previous life frantically cleaning, cooking, washing clothes, and shuttling boys from activity to activity. Now that she was on her own time she read, took long walks in the park across the street, and knitted, of course. Since she was able to spread out her supplies in the loft, not having to pack up every afternoon, Chloe was able to get into a better rhythm of creating her dolls.

A few days after she had gotten her lease from Beca, Chloe decided to make a batch of lasagna. She had long ago learned to make her sauce from scratch, which is why she had brought several pounds of fresh tomatoes from the farmers' market. Chloe always made large batches because it was a requirement when cooking for a family of four that included a man and two growing boys. She decided to make the same sized batch, using farmers' market zucchini instead of pasta, and take some downstairs to Beca. Maybe they could bury the hatchet so to speak.

The building super was gorgeous, and if she were honest with herself, quite attractive. Chloe had never looked twice at another woman, but Beca deserved a third look. Surely there was a soft interior somewhere inside her. Maybe she left it on the bike. Who knows, but Chloe was determined to bring some sunshine into her life.

Chloe separated the lasagna into separate pans – one for herself, one for Beca, and one to be cut into single-sized servings for the freezer. As the food began to bubble and sizzle, the smells escaping the oven allowed her to envision the cheese starting to melt and brown as the ingredients mingled together. She knew she'd eat a lot when the lasagna was fresh out of the oven. The leftovers from her first pan would be excellent as sandwiches, assuming there were leftovers of course. She always had the third pan that was destined for her freezer.

Once the lasagnas finished baking, she shredded some additional fresh parmesan on top and left hers to cool enough to eat while she headed downstairs. Part of her was nervous to see the prickly building super again face to face, but the rest of her wanted to see the woman again. Chloe couldn't quite put her finger on it, but Beca was… intriguing.

Since the first afternoon, when Chloe had seen her pull off the helmet, she had been enthralled with the motorcycle driver. She hated to admit that she might have a little crush on the brusque woman. Seeing Beca again, in close quarters, when the redhead picked up her lease, only reinforced that thought. The shorter woman's dark blue eyes were stormy like her attitude that only added to her allure. Maybe Chloe had a thing for bad boys… bad girls, even.

Chloe's knock was timid as she wasn't sure what to expect when Beca answered the door. After a few moments, she was about to give up when the door was flung open by the brunette who had obviously been asleep. Chloe tensed, waiting for an onslaught of verbal abuse but the woman simply stood there, staring at her. Finally, Beca asked, "may I help you?"

"Ummmm I don't know if you like lasagna, but I made some extra and thought you might be hungry. The tomato sauce is homemade from scratch, and I used zucchini for noodles… It's a little on the healthier side." Chloe knew she was rambling and forced herself to stop talking. When Beca didn't say anything, the redhead held out the pan.

Beca's face had a small smirk as she took the pan. "Well the banana bread didn't kill me, so I'll try some of this. Maybe Nick did well in picking someone to house sit for him after all."

Chloe didn't know how to respond, and Beca had gone silent again. "Errr I'll just head back upstairs." The redhead motioned to the stairwell. "I hope you enjoy it." Beca had her back turned and held up a hand in the form of goodbye as she got a plate from her cabinet.

A few hours later, Chloe heard a knock. She was surprised to see Beca at her door, holding a clean lasagna dish. Her immediate reaction was hurt, anger even, that the building super had tossed the lasagna in the garbage. _I wonder if she even tried it. _Chloe tried not to let her hurt feelings show as she took the pan from Beca.

"Ummmm it's clean. I wanted to make sure I got the pan back to you." Chloe resisted asking her if she had dumped the food. "I hope you don't think I'm a pig. I sort of ate it all." Beca blushed as she scraped her boot on the ground.

Chloe's eyes brightened as she started to giggle. "Seriously, in two hours, you ate that entire lasagna?"

"I couldn't help myself. It was utterly delicious, and I don't exactly get a lot of home-cooked meals." Beca's grin turned sheepish.

The redhead invited her inside. "I don't have much to offer you to drink but water, tea, or fresh-squeezed lemonade."

Beca threw her head back, laughing. "Figures you'd have lemonade. Who are you?"

Chloe gave a fake scowl. "Do you want some or not?"

The redhead poured two glasses of lemonade and invited Beca to have a seat in the small living area. They talked for a bit, mostly about Chloe's doll business since that was about all the redhead was willing to share about herself. She didn't even notice the brunette was even more close-lipped about herself.

After a while, Beca announced she needed to leave for work. Chloe walked her to the door. "I have another pan of lasagna in the freezer … just saying." Beca grinned and thanked her again as she left to go to work.

Shortly after that, Chloe heard the vroom of Beca's motorcycle revving up and leaving the parking lot. It could have been her imagination, but the noise somehow didn't seem quite as loud or obnoxious as before.

* * *

When Chloe saw Donald that Saturday at the farmers' market, she let him know she was able to procure a legal lease from Nick's building super. They again arranged to meet Monday afternoon for her to sign any paperwork he was going to file. Donald was impressed with how quickly Chloe had gotten the rest of the requirements in order. "Bring your car title and enough funds to cover the petition court costs, car registration, etc. We should be able to take care of everything in short order so you can feel much more at peace. Oh, and bring two small photos suitable for a passport."

On Monday, Donald went through the entire stack of paperwork he'd prepared. "I play golf with the judge whose docket we're set for, so there shouldn't be an issue. Once he signs the petition paperwork, I'll transfer your car title and registration to Alabama. You'll then have fourteen days to get Alabama car insurance. I'll also file for a name change on your social security card and apply for a passport with your new name. Every identification we can get with your new name will help."

Chloe handed him a fat envelope stuffed with cash. He raised his eyebrows. "Chloe, are you living strictly on cash? Carrying around this much isn't safe."

"I know," she replied, but I can't exactly open a bank account with my real name if I'm hiding from Tom."

"I'll take care of everything else. But once I get your paperwork, promise me you'll open a bank account."

* * *

A few weeks later and almost everything for her name change was taken care of. Chloe Beale was her new, official, and legal name. Donald had applied for her social security card with her name and a proper passport. Her car was sorted away, and most importantly, she had a much safer place to keep her money.

Chloe had recalled hearing about deposit limits at one point in her life and did a quick internet search. She discovered that deposits over ten thousand dollars alerted authorities and triggered an investigation. When Chloe was saving up to move to Birmingham, the redhead had planned well and brought enough money to live on for at least six months without working. When she lucked out and started selling her dolls at the farmers' market so quickly, she hadn't had to tap into much of those funds. Her cash reserve was more than the FDIC deposit limits.

When she opened savings and checking accounts, she had to make nominal deposits over time to ensure the FDIC would not flag her accounts. While it took a little more time, she felt better having her money tucked safely into a bank. She could now live like a real adult again.

Once the entire process was over, she was gushing to Stacie how much her husband had helped her, forgetting that Stacie knew nothing of her background and what all Donald had done for her. "I tried to pay him, but he wouldn't take my money."

Stacie smiled softly. "And he won't. His work at the legal aid clinic is volunteer for his company. Allowing you to pay wouldn't be ethical. I'm happy he could help, though."

Chloe snapped her fingers as an idea came to mind. "I've got it!" The redhead told her friend to make sure she and her husband kept Friday evening open.

On Thursday, Chloe swung by Stacie's house to drop off the Broadway in Birmingham tickets to _Bandstand _and gift certificate to Perry's Steakhouse & Grille. "What's this?" Stacie asked as she opened the envelope and pulled out its contents.

"I thought it would be self-explanatory. Isn't that the show you told me you've been hinting Donald to take you to?"

"Oh, Chloe, this is too much." Stacie was trying to protest, but Chloe could tell she was excited. About that time, Bella came barreling into the room and saw the redhead, latched onto Chloe's legs before trying to drag her to her room for a tea party. "I'm not sure I can find a baby sitter on such short notice for a Friday night." Stacie sounded a little bummed.

Chloe bent down to talk to the little girl. "How about we have that tea party tomorrow, Bella? Your mommy and daddy are going on a date, and I'm staying here with you."

"Really?" Bella began to clap her hands as she wiggled around in a circle. "Can we have ice cweam for supper?"

The redhead laughed. "Maybe not for supper, but let's see what tomorrow brings." She stood back up and faced her friend. "I already planned to keep Bella… if that's okay, of course. I know you said Donald wouldn't accept money, but you two have done so much for me. More than you know. Consider this a thank you gift. To both of you."

* * *

The next day, Chloe arrived early to the Conrad house to make sure the evening started without a hitch. She'd already texted with Stacie and sorted out most of the details about dinner. Her friend and Donald were both nicely dressed and excited about their night out. Chloe kept assuring her friend she was okay with keeping Bella. "We're best friends, right Bells?"

"Wight!" The little girl gave Chloe a fist bump.

As soon as her parents were out of the house, the little girl dragged her babysitter to her room to play house and for a tea party. Chloe had to admit that playing with the little girl was exponentially easier than boys, at least her stepsons anyhow. Eventually, Chloe asked Bella if she was hungry.

"Are we having ice cweam for dinner?" Bella asked expectantly.

"No sweetie. Mac and cheese. Your mommy said that was one of your favorites."

"Out of a box? Like daddy makes?"

Chloe made her eyes wide. "No! Powdered cheese is fake. How about we make it ourselves? Grate the cheese ourselves and everything!" Bella clapped even though Chloe wasn't sure if she quite understood.

Chloe unloaded the shopping bag she had brought containing macaroni, sharp cheddar and parmesan cheeses, milk, butter, and panko bread crumbs. The rest she used from Stacie's pantry. Bella showed her where the largest pans and bowls were. The little girl grabbed one of the stainless bowls, put it over her head, and began to run around the kitchen and banging on the cabinets. Chloe let her play while she prepped her ingredients.

"Bella, do you want to help me grate some cheese?" She showed the young girl how to grate cheese without injuring her knuckles. Soon they had all the ingredients prepped and started the pasta to boiling. Bella had fun stirring the cheeses as they melted together.

The redhead scooped mac and cheese into individual ramekins. She let Bella sprinkle lots of breadcrumbs on top and popped them into the oven to get brown, crusty tops. The little girl was more involved that Chloe had imagined she would be, which was great since she stayed interested and didn't get bored.

Chloe made enough ramekins to leave several for the Conrad family and take several back to the loft. Beca had wolfed down the lasagna and sheepishly brought back the clean dishware. Maybe she liked mac and cheese as well. For some reason, Chloe felt an urge to impress the building super with her cooking again.


	7. Settling Into Routine

When Chloe got back to the loft that night, she heard a roar coming from down the street behind her as she got out of her car balancing the sack which contained the leftover ingredients and extra containers of mac and cheese. This time Chloe wasn't trying to sleep or relax, so she wasn't irritated at the rattling noise. Honestly, she didn't know quite how she felt — excited, maybe? The redhead admitted to herself that she had thought about the broody brunette more than once since moving in, especially after they spent time visiting when Beca came to return her lasagna dish.

She patiently waited for the woman to park her motorcycle and dismount. "Hi," Chloe called out. Beca pulled off her helmet and shook out her hair. Chloe bit her lower lip, trying to hide her grin.

"Hi yourself. Was I too loud again?" Beca seemed concerned she had disturbed the peace with her noise.

"No," Chloe giggled. "I just got home myself. I was babysitting for a friend. Are you hungry?" Chloe thought about the few ramekins of mac and cheese she brought home.

"Am I ever?! I was about to order Thai."

When Chloe told her she had some homemade mac and cheese, Beca's eyes lit up. "Mac and cheese. My favorite, next to pizza, of course. Then again, pizza delivers, and I haven't found a place that will bring mac and cheese to my doorstep."

Chloe sauntered towards Beca and said in a deep voice. "Knock, knock ma'am. Your mac and cheese is here."

Beca chuckled as she invited her in, put her helmet by the door, and shrugged off her jacket to hang on the back of one of the chairs. Chloe found herself struggling to keep her eyes from popping out her head. When the woman peeled off her leather jacket, she was wearing only a dark blue wife-beater tank top beneath. It fit her torso tightly, not leaving much room for imagination.

A chortle broke Chloe from her trance as Beca stood with her hands on her hips as she watched Chloe watch her. "My night job can get a bit sweaty. Let me go put a regular shirt on." She flashed Chloe a massive grin as she walked to the back of the unit. "Help yourself to what you need in the kitchen.

I'm looking forward to your mac and cheese."

Beca catching her staring horrified Chloe, but she had to shake it off and act as if nothing had happened. Chloe sprinkled some fresh cheese and breadcrumbs on top of the ramekins before popping them into the oven to heat up.

"You could have used the microwave, you know?" Beca startled Chloe as she walked into the room wearing a fresh t-shirt.

The redhead gave a mock gasp and covered her chest with her hand. "How dare you even suggest such a thing?"

Beca pulled a pair of beers from the fridge and made room for them to sit at the table. Soon the food was ready to be served, and both women dug in. "God Chloe, you sure can cook. I seriously could get used to your leftovers regularly.

The redhead blushed at the compliment, making a mental note to overcook more often. She had no idea why Beca was affecting her this way, but she wasn't complaining.

"Tell me, Chloe, how's the doll business?" Beca shot her a sideways grin. Chloe was quickly becoming addicted to Beca's many smiles and smirks.

"Don't make fun Becs. I make a pretty good living with my little cuties."

"I'll have to see these creations sometime." Beca's interest seemed genuine. Maybe she wasn't as impolite as her rude driving and sometimes brash attitude might suggest.

Without thinking, Chloe flew over to where Beca was sitting and scooted close to her, not noticing Beca flinching at the close contact. "Look, here's my Instagram. You can see all my babies here." Chloe had been in Birmingham a while now, and the Instagram was growing by leaps and bounds.

Beca commented on how cute the dolls were. "I can see why they are so popular. Hashtag art by Nick? Are those his paintings?" When Chloe said they were, Beca raised her eyebrows. "They're good."

"You know a bit about me Beca; tell me about you." Chloe didn't miss the frown that crossed the brunette's face before it quickly went away.

She squirmed a bit before answering. "Not much to tell honestly. I came here from Chicago a few years ago. I fell in love with the area and haven't left."

"What made you like Birmingham so much?"

Beca shrugged. "Dunno."

When Chloe realized that getting answers was going to be like pulling teeth, she took a different tactic. "You know my last name, Beca. Can I at least get yours?"

"Mitchell. Beca Mitchell." The brunette quickly caught on to what Chloe was trying to do. "Don't think you can sneak in a bunch of questions and learn all there is about me. Good try, though."

Somehow Chloe understood how the building super felt since she was reasonably tight-lipped with her past, but she wanted to learn more about this mysterious woman who had been a constant in her thoughts. "One more question?" Beca teasingly rolled her eyes and nodded. "Your two favorite things?"

"That's two questions, Beale," she scolded, "but I'll give them to you. Food and music."

This answer didn't surprise Chloe. As she had waited for the food to warm up and Beca to change clothes, she looked around the front room which was decorated with an eclectic mix of old record album covers and faded classic posters from concerts long since performed.

After profusely thanking her for the mac and cheese, Beca walked Chloe to the door. Chloe caught herself resisting kissing the woman on the cheek or even a hug since Beca had seemed a bit prickly when Chloe got physically close earlier. She did the next best thing in her book and reached over to touch Beca's arm and wished her a good night.

* * *

When Chloe got upstairs, she texted Jessica to see if she was up for FaceTime. She hadn't talked to her friend in a while and wanted to catch her up on her legal situation. When the two connected, Chloe was taken aback at Jessica's appearance. "Ummm you look… nice Jess."

The blonde laughed. "Is this your way of telling me I normally look like shit?"

"No, no, no! I am just not used to see you all fancied up, I guess."

Jessica explained that she had gone to an open-mic a few weeks ago and connected with another musician. She and Jeff were going to try to cut an EP together and had met with some potential sponsors earlier that night. "Chloe," she gushed, "I had forgotten how much I loved songwriting and singing. This guy and I hit it off, and I think it's a solid connection. I'm excited about making music again."

After Jessica shared her good news, Chloe told her what all she had been able to accomplish with Donald's help. "I am officially Chloe Beale – lock, stock, and barrel. I even have two bank accounts –checking _and_ savings!" She explained how Donald, Stacie's husband, volunteered once a week at a free legal clinic and helped her get everything taken care of quickly and painlessly. "Jess, you have no idea how good I feel. I have finally escaped my horrible life completely."

"I miss you, Chloe. The farmers' market isn't the same without you. But I do love seeing all the new doll pictures you post every week. Your creativity is expanding in leaps and bounds."

"I miss you, too, Jessica. You should visit me sometime. I'll split the ticket cost with you." Jessica said she'd check her schedule and come up with something that might work. Chloe almost told her about Beca but decided against it. She was still exploring those feelings and wasn't sure if she was quite ready to share.

After a long conversation with her best friend, Chloe crawled into bed and fell asleep reading another one of Nick's books.

* * *

Chloe had set herself a routine that included the farmers' market on Saturday mornings, knitting dolls through the week, and updating her social media. Another habit she had gotten into was cooking at least one meal a week that was certain to have left-overs. If Beca weren't at home, Chloe would leave the dish on her doorstep. The building super was swift to return the clean dishes as soon as possible. Chloe took this as a hint the woman wanted refills.

As the outdoor temperature dropped, the produce stalls at the market shifted to winter vegetables. The redhead wasn't well versed in cooking with winter vegetables so spent a great deal of time researching things on the internet. She tried some bacon-wrapped figs and discovered two things – Beca loved bacon and thought figs were pretty awesome, too. Chloe also made several batches of homemade fig bars through the season since they were also a hit not only with Beca but also with Bella.

The winter continued, and Chloe was discovering the joy of farm to table cooking. She even surprised herself with Eggplant Parmigiana. After tinkering with different recipes, the redhead found one deemed perfect. Of all the winter vegetable soups and stews she made, Chloe decided that butternut squash was her favorite.

One particular evening, a knock sounded on Chloe's door. She opened it to find Beca standing there, grinning like a fool as she leaned against the door jamb holding two clean, empty quart-size Mason jars. "We have to stop meeting like this."

"Does this mean I need to stop leaving you food?" Chloe arched her eyebrows as she teased the brunette.

Beca's eyes widened in shock. "No, no, no! That's not what I meant at all," she sputtered.

Chloe giggled and pulled the brunette inside. She relieved the woman of the clean soup jars and offered her a drink.

"Lemonade?" Beca asked, hopefully. She had gotten the routine down since she visited Chloe's loft often.

Chloe brought two ice-cold glasses of lemonade and sat on an overstuffed chair with her legs tucked beneath her. Beca was picking at the fabric of the loveseat on which she sat. "Becs, you okay?" The woman looked nervous.

"Ummmm yeah sure, I'm great." She gulped her lemonade. "I know you work at the market on Saturday, but errrrrr do you have any plans for Sunday?" Beca's eyes immediately dropped to the floor as she was unable to look at Chloe, her nervousness clearly showing.

Chloe thought Beca's sudden shyness was adorable. "You're cute when you get nervous. I hope you know that," the redhead teased. She realized that she liked the building super. She liked her a lot.

Beca furrowed her eyebrows together as she mock-glared at Chloe. "Not cute. Badass."

"Okay, okay – badass, with a tiny bit of adorableness mixed in." Chloe had finally decided that she wasn't going to be able to figure out what she felt for Beca, other than an extreme case of the likes, so would go with the flow. "My Sunday's are mostly filled with knitting and making more of the little guys." She waved her hand over what was now her assembly station.

Beca got nervous again. "I, ummm, was wondering if you'd like to go somewhere with me?"

"Is that a question Beca or a statement?" Beca didn't respond, and Chloe patiently waited. Despite what the brunette said, she was incredibly adorable and yes, cute.

"Iwanttoknowifyouwouldliketogooutwithme," Beca sputtered out. Breathing in and out heavily, Beca had a terrified look on her face.

"Awww Becs, are you asking me on a date?" The building super furrowed her brow again, extremely frustrated at Chloe's teasing. The redhead was afraid she was pushing too far. "Yes, Beca, I'd love to go out with you."

Relief washed over Beca's face. Her eyes lit up as Chloe said she'd go out with her. She let the redhead know to be ready at eleven. "Dress casual. Like real casual." Beca got up to go back down to her unit. She called back over her shoulder. "And don't expect too much. I don't want to disappoint you."

As soon as Beca had left and had time to get into her own place, Chloe began to squeal and bounce up and down. She immediately texted Jessica.

_[To Jess: I have a date on Sunday!]  
__[To Chloe: What?]  
__[To Chloe: With who?]  
__[To Jess: Remember I told you about the annoying woman with the loud motorcycle?]  
__[To Chloe: Yeah]  
__[To Jess: Her, my date is with her]_

Chloe's phone immediately rang. "You, she-who-shall-not go-on-another-date-again-ever-in-your-life, is not only going on a date, but it's also with a woman." Jessica was laughing.

"I like her, Jess. I really do. She's dark, mysterious but incredibly nice. And she loves my cooking." Chloe's voice was bubbling over with excitement. Chloe continued to tell Jessica about taking food to Beca at least once weekly and how appreciative she was. "It's nice to have someone compliment me. It's been a while. Did I mention? She's hot."

Jessica almost choked on her words. "I didn't even realize you liked women Chlo."

"Me either."

* * *

At the farmers' market on Saturday, Chloe found herself humming and softly singing to herself as they set up the booth. Stacie stood for a moment chuckling as she watched her friend float around in a world only known to herself. The tall brunette leaned up against the stack of corn as the redhead danced around with her dolls, displaying them just so.

Chloe felt Stacie watching her and stopped in her tracks. "What?" Stacie shook her head, still laughing. "Can't a girl have a bit of fun while setting up on a Saturday morning?"

"Only if she shares," Stacie retorted. "What has you so giddy this morning? Not that I'm complaining…"

Chloe cut her eyes sideways at her friend and flashed a smile. "I… have a date tomorrow."

Stacie's face immediately turned animated as realization dawned on her. "You've never mentioned anyone before and now a date? Wow! No wonder you are all chipper. Soooooooo tell me all about him."

The redhead blushed. "It's not a him; she's a her." Stacie's eyes showed their shock. "I know, right! I never saw myself as liking women before, but there's something about this one. Know that annoying building super of mine?"

"The one with all the infernal racket of her motorcycle roaring in and out at all times of the day and night."

Chloe nodded. "Yup. She was adorable when she asked, all nervous." She proceeded to tell Stacie how they had bonded over food over the last few weeks. "I initially wanted to break the ice between us since we do have to live in the same building and all. Then she enjoyed the meal so much, it became a habit, and I got used to seeing her every week. I looked forward to it even."

"Wait, you've cooked for her every week?" Chloe nodded. "If you have that much time on your hands, maybe I'll get Bella to beg you for more sweets. All we've ever gotten was that banana bread a while back and some mac and cheese. If I didn't have Donald, I'd be a bit jealous of your building super," Stacie teased. "Regardless, I expect full details when you get back." When Chloe glared at her, she corrected herself. "Well, maybe not _full_ details."

* * *

When Chloe returned to the loft after another busy Saturday farmers' market, she noticed a new vehicle in the ordinarily empty slot which belonged to Beca. The older model forest green Jeep had a bikini top and looked rather cool. Chloe was curious who was visiting Beca, especially because her motorcycle was not there. She tried not to think about what might be going on in the downstairs unit and concentrate on how much fun she'd have the next day.

When the day cooled down later that evening, Chloe heard clanging and a curse or two from the parking area. Peeking out the window, she was surprised to see a sweaty, greasy Beca throw a wrench to the ground as she grabbed a thin towel to wipe the sweat from her forehead and chest. Beca was again wearing one of her form-fitting ribbed tank tops and looked damned good.

Once she retrieved the wrench she had tossed down, Beca started working on the bolt she had been battling. Chloe's eyes popped out at the muscle definition of Beca's arms. She imagined that the brunette's abdomen looked the same way. She caught herself in a trance staring at her building super.

Chloe went to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of ice-cold fresh-squeezed lemonade. She poured two tall glasses into non-breakable glasses, put them and the pitcher on a tray, and headed downstairs. The redhead didn't want to interrupt the woman's work and stood patiently, waiting for Beca to see her.

"Quit creeping Beale," Beca chuckled as she turned to face her tenant. Chloe held out one of the glasses, offering a smile. "My angel!" She took the drink and took several large gulps of the sweet yet sour drink. "Thank you. I stand corrected – you can stalk me anytime if you bring me lemonade."

Chloe began to examine the vehicle. "Nice Jeep Mitchell; where's your bike?"

Beca gave a sideways grin before talking. "I have a ummmmm date tomorrow. I couldn't exactly take her on my bike, so I dragged this old thing out of storage. Besides, I need to drive the Jeep every so often." The brunette explained it was a 1978 CJ-5 4x4 she had revived during a trip to a local vehicle graveyard. "I've done a great deal of the restoration work myself. She's a beaut." The super slapped the side of the Jeep.

"I could have driven Becs. I do have a car, you know."

"Not quite the same," Beca said sheepishly. "Plus, one can never tell when the four-wheeled drive might come in handy."

Chloe asked where they were going, but Beca again refused to tell her where nor what their plans were. "At least promise me you'll keep me safe."

"Promise."

Chloe stayed outside, visiting with the building super for a while. Finally, she filled Beca's glass with the last of the lemonade and headed upstairs.

* * *

Chloe took advantage of some spare time to do a bit of accounting and sort out her bank accounts. She had gotten her new social security card and decided she needed to move towards being legal and start paying quarterly taxes. While Tom could track her with her social security number, she didn't think he was bright enough to do that even if he knew her number.

Once she started paying quarterly taxes, she could file federal and state taxes and have no fear of repercussions from the government. Luckily, she had taken accounting several classes while getting her business degree, and the experience wouldn't be daunting. First, she needed a computer. Armed with her debit card, Chloe took off to a local electronics store.

She'd been researching laptops since they took up much less space and frankly, could be more powerful than some desktops. When she arrived at the electronics store, Chloe knew what she wanted but patiently listened to the saleswoman anyway. Chloe paid extra to have the computer set up that included uninstalling all the junk software and adware that manufactures loaded up on new machines. She also had the techs install an office productivity suite. Her business software she would download when she got back from the loft.

Since it would be about an hour or two for the set up to be complete, she went to a nearby deli to have a huge salad. Then she went to a craft store she'd found to stock up on yarn, stuffing, and other doll supplies.

* * *

On Sunday, Chloe had been doing all sorts of chores around the house to keep her mind off her mid-day date with Beca. If she allowed herself to think about the outing, she'd find herself staring off in space with her focus blown. She couldn't get a handle on her feelings and had decided she was okay with that.

She'd woken up bright and early and couldn't go back to sleep. After a quick breakfast, Chloe spent the extra time picking out something to wear, changing her mind multiple times. Beca had said to dress super casual. The problem was she didn't know what Beca considered very informal. She picked out a cute sleeveless blouse along with shorts which reached down to her mid-thigh. Chloe also dug out a floppy hat to she could look extra cute.

Chloe spent the next of the morning sorting through receipts and orders, so she could later input them into her accounting software. She had moved to Birmingham at the beginning of the fiscal quarter and felt she could get away with starting her taxes then and explain that before, she was a stay at home mom. She certainly wouldn't be lying for sure, just stretching the truth a bit.

She tried to not stare at the clock as that made time seem to go more slowly. About ten minutes before eleven, she began to shut down her computer and put her paperwork away. When Chloe heard a light rap on her door, she was perplexed.

The redhead opened the door to Beca who held a small bouquet of fresh flowers. "Errr I thought I might come up and get you." She held out the flowers, smiling sheepishly. "These are for you."

Chloe gave a small smile as she took the flowers and smelled them. "They are lovely Beca. Thank you. Let me put these in some water, and I'll be ready to go."

"Ummm do you have a way to secure your hat on your head? And maybe a hair tie?" Chloe noticed Beca's long chocolate hair was tucked up under a cap. "We're talking my Jeep, and the wind kind of blows a lot." The brunette sounded apologetic.

Chloe took a few minutes to pull her hair up onto the back of her head. "How about I just hold my hat and put it on when we got to where we are going?"

Beca grinned at her. "Good, because it's cute. I like it."

As Chloe managed to crawl into the Jeep, she fastened the lap belt around her. Beca could tell she was wary about only having a lap belt and promised her she'd be safe. "I usually don't get over fifty anyway." Chloe turned and saw a basket in the back seat. She knew Beca wouldn't give her any hints so didn't bother asking.


	8. Outings

Beca drove about thirty minutes outside of Birmingham. True to her word, she kept the speed down, and the wind was not too bad. Beca turned down a side road littered with signs. "No trespassing." "Violators will be prosecuted." "Keep out. This means you."

"Umm Beca?" The brunette replied to Chloe's concern with a small smile.

After a few minutes of driving along the small dirt road, Beca crossed a cattle guard and stopped near a flat grassy area close to a small pond. "We have arrived at our final destination." She climbed out and grabbed the basket and a thick blanket from the back seat. By the time Chloe managed to free herself from the Jeep, Beca had the blanket spread under the shade of a huge oak tree.

"Can we be back here, Beca? Those signs looked pretty ominous."

"Have a seat." Beca had started pulling things out of the basket. She had a full picnic spread. "And don't worry about the signs. I put them up to keep out the undesirables."

"This is your land?" Beca nodded. "You never cease to amaze me, Mitchell."

"A woman never reveals all her secrets." Both women laughed as the emptied the basket of its contents.

"You went all out here. And here you had me convinced you couldn't cook."

"I can't," the brunette chuckled. "Let's just say I know people who know people." Beca pulled out a carafe of water and sat it on the blanket before pulling out a bottle of wine and an opener. She uncorked the bottle and poured a bit for Chloe and herself. "I'm a firm believer in having at least some dessert first."

Chloe's blue eyes got a bit brighter when the brunette pulled out some huge chocolate covered strawberries. She plucked one from the bowl with her fingernails and tried to pop it into her mouth. "Hhhmmm, you know they are going to be tasty when they are too large for one bite. She opened her mouth wide and chomped down, light red juice trickling down her chin.

Beca grinned as she reached over with a cloth rag and wiped Chloe's chin as she pointed out the other things she'd packed like tiny muffulettas, lots of bite-sized vegetables and fruits, and some stuffed figs.

"You brought us tons of scrumdiddlyumptious-ness Becs." Chloe pulled herself up to her knees and crawled over to the food spread and threw her arms over Beca's shoulders. The brunette resisted her urge to flinch and pull away from the close contact, but when the redhead stretched further over her back and gave her a massive kiss on the cheek, Beca gave up all thoughts of moving away from the touch.

* * *

The pair finished their food and two bottles of wine, but neither seemed in the mood to leave Beca's property. Somehow Beca ended up with her back against the sprawling oak tree with Chloe leaning against her between her legs. Chloe had her hands on Beca's knees and unconsciously was rubbing up and down Beca's calves. She didn't realize she was doing so until she felt Beca's breath hitch.

"This has been nice. Thank you for bringing me here."

Beca paused a few minutes before responding, probably trying to regain her composure. "Least I could do for all the food you make me." She gave the redhead a brief squeeze with her legs. "Plus, you are a great tenant."

Now it was Chloe's turn to be quiet. Her voice was soft and timid when she spoke. "Are those the only reasons you asked me out?"

The brunette put her hands on Chloe's shoulders and squeezed. "No," she whispered into the redhead's ear. She placed a soft kiss behind Chloe's ear. "No those aren't the only reasons." She then rubbed her hands across the chill bumps that had risen on Chloe's arms.

Chloe and Beca sat a while enjoying the peace until the beautiful sunset stretched orange and amber strands across the pond. Beca tapped Chloe's hips. "Come on, cutie. Let's blow this popsicle stand."

The two of them working together made short work of packing up the wicker basket and loading the Jeep. The breeze was quite brisk on the way back, the wind whistling around the windshield of the open Jeep, but Chloe didn't mind. She believed this was the best picnic she had ever been on.

* * *

When she and Beca had arrived at the building, the brunette hesitated before walking over to hold the door open for Chloe. She gave the woman a huge smile. "I'm glad you enjoyed today, Chloe. Maybe we can go out again sometime?" "I'd like that." Chloe gave her a shy hug before turning and heading up the stairs.

The redhead almost skipped up the staircase to her loft. The redhead made sure she closed the door before she did an ecstatic, happy dance around the loft, including bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

After a quick check of the time, she decided Jessica would be getting ready for bed and work the next morning, so she FaceTimed Stacie instead who was more than willing to listen to how Chloe's night went. She listened as her friend recounted every moment starting from when Beca showed up at her door with flowers to the hug at the end.

"You are simply glowing Chloe. Beca looks good on you."

The next morning, her phone rang bright and early. Jessica. "You didn't call me after your date, Chloe Beale! Don't tell me you didn't go home after your date. Scandalous." Jessica always loved teasing her friend. The redhead assured her she did return to her place but again reported every last detail as she had done the night before with Stacie.

Once Jessica was positive that she had squeezed all the details from her friend, she shared the good news of her own. "Jeff and I got a few songs written and started laying down the tracks to our EP. We're both excited that we have made it to this point in making our dream come true." Jessica explained they had started a Kickstarter campaign to help raise additional funds to help mix and master the songs. She promised to send her friend a link and keep her informed of the album progress.

Chloe again invited her to visit to which Jessica replied she would as soon as the tracks were all written and recorded, and she had some extra time.

Once they disconnected, Chloe immediately booted up her laptop and pulled up the Kickstarter campaign and read the history her friend had posted and the pledge rewards. Her decision to donate was swift. For all the support Jessica had provided her in not only getting her doll business off the ground but also in believing in her when she expressed the desire to get out of her life and disappear from her family. Without a second thought, Chloe got her debit card from her purse and made a hefty donation to her friend's music project.

* * *

As the days went on, Chloe began to try to keep track of when Beca left and arrived at the loft complex, not that she was a stalker or anything. The brunette still had not shared much about herself, and Chloe was making somewhat a game out of trying to determine where she went every day. To work? And if so, what type of job did she have?

The redhead let her imagination run wild and finally decided Beca worked with rescued lions at a nearby wildlife preserve. This idea won out simply because she got the most giggles visualizing the tiny motorcycle rider preparing huge chunks of rabbit for abandoned big cats – or even tossing live rabbits into the cages of lions four times her size.

One evening, Chloe caught Beca when she drove up and asked her up to her loft. This time she gave the brunette a large glass of sweet tea. "So how are the kitties?" Chloe tried to keep her face straight but failed woefully and burst out laughing. Of course, she didn't expand on her question and kept it her personal joke.

Beca's expression was confusion mixed with a little humor. "What the hell Chlo? Kitties?"

Chloe shot one of Beca's smirks back at her as she explained that she spent a lot of her time imagining where the brunette spent her afternoons. "I finally decided you work at a nature preserve dealing with rescued zoo animals. Big cats are your specialty. Lions specifically and maybe the occasional tiger." Chloe rested her chin on her fists. "How did I do, Beca? Close?"

By now, Beca was shaking her head, laughing. "You are a nut. I definitely don't work with lions, not even tigers. Disappointing, I know." Chloe kept quiet, hoping her silence would encourage Beca to open up a bit more. "During the week, I volunteer at a youth center downtown a few days a week. And if you _must_ know, I'm a part-time DJ. I told you, my two favorite things are food and music. You've seen how much I eat." She patted her belly. "I get a lot of my music fix spinning at this local club."

Chloe began to doodle whimsical designs on the back of the couch. "May I come listen sometime?" Beca shrugged not committing either way. Chloe then sweetened the pot. "How about dinner – your choice – this time in-house and not leftovers left on your doorstep?" The brunette grinned and immediately agreed in exchange to let Chloe come to the club and listen to her music for another home-cooked meal.

* * *

Beca shared that she spun on Thursday and Friday nights. Thursday's were a great draw for the college crowd, and Friday's brought an eclectic group of music aficionados who danced to a variety of genres." The brunette was nervous about inviting Chloe to come to the club. She was confident that her sound was solid, just wanted the redhead to enjoy the evening and more importantly, like the DJ's sound. She realized that impressing Chloe was becoming important to her.

Beca enjoyed being a club disc jockey. She used a variety of methods when she spun to keep the crowd entertained. Sometimes she performed using turntables, manipulating sounds on records which provided transition reverbs to support the recorded music which was the base. She also had the laptop that she used for live mixing, smashing multiple songs together.

At home, she spent a great deal of time on mash-ups – collecting them to use for break time and when the dance floor didn't seem to need to be amped up by her live-action spinning. Knowing Chloe was going to be in attendance, she decided to spend the entire night spinning and not to depend any on her mash-ups.

Rather than playing things by ear as she usually did, Beca made a playlist of songs she knew would blend well into each other. Her determination to impress the redhead who was going to come Thursday night. The setlist _and_ her outfit had to be impeccable. If all went well, she planned on asking Chloe out again.

* * *

Chloe was elated to be going to watch Beca work. She hadn't been to a club since her college days. She begged Stacie to come over and help her pick something out to wear. Her friend came over and dug through her clothes before announcing the need to go shopping. When Chloe groaned, Stacie told her if she wanted to 'dress to impress,' she needed clothes appropriate for today's club scene.

Stacie grabbed a whiny Chloe and dragged her out of the loft. They headed to a store that sold music shirts and vintage style clothing. Stacie picked out a t-shirt that represented Bruno Mars' _Doo-Wops & Hooligans_ album cover. Chloe found a funky pink and purple necklace that matched the shirt. Stacie chose a pair of loose jean shorts with ragged seams.

When Stacie dangled the shorts in front of Chloe to try on, she said, "this is for if it's hot in the club." Stacie had a mischievous look on her face. "You said she comes home from work in a tank top."

Chloe didn't think she needed to be _that_ obvious and bear her best assets but went ahead with her friend's suggestions. She also picked out some extra clothes to refresh her sad wardrobe. Once the redhead paid and packed the bags in the car, she said, "At least we were able to get everything at one place."

The tall brunette threw her head back and laughed. "Oh no, Chloe. You aren't getting off that easily. You made the mistake of letting me go through your clothes." Chloe flashed a frown at her friend. "You like her, right? Beca?" The redhead didn't deny the question.

When she saw the store that Stacie had pulled up in front of, she groaned. "Stacie! NO! I'm not going in there."

"Lighten up Chlo. Besides, I need to get some things." She waggled her eyebrows at the redhead before heading into the lingerie store and leaving Chloe in the car. The redhead refused to sit in the parking lot alone and followed her friend into the store.

By the time the pair left the sexy undergarment store, Stacie had convinced Chloe to purchase six matching sets of bras and panties. "Who can resist a buy four, get two free sale? Besides, you don't have anything but mom underwear. What kind of friend would I be if I let you try to woo Beca in those?"

* * *

When Thursday rolled around, Chloe spent the day nervously walking around the apartment. She had made turkey burgers the day before, but Beca hadn't been home. She'd left the package of food on the building super's doorstep. Since the packaging had been disposable, there had been no dishes to return. Thus there was no reason for Beca to come up to her loft. Not seeing the brunette made the redhead nervous.

Chloe's phone went off mid-afternoon. When she saw her messages were from Beca, she smiled.

_[To Chloe: Burgers were great. Didn't figure you wanted the paper plates back. ; ) ]  
__[To Chloe: You still coming tonight]  
__[To Beca: I wouldn't miss it for anything]  
__[To Chloe: Great!]  
__[To Chloe: Try to get there between 9 and 9:30 before it gets too crazy]  
__[To Chloe: I put you down for two at the door in case your friend wants to come]  
__[To Chloe: Go to the VIP line on the right.]  
__[To Beca: Got it. See you tonight]_

Chloe hadn't thought about inviting Stacie, but as nervous as she was, the idea sounded good. Her friend would provide a distraction and someone to dance with. She messaged Stacie and asked if she was interested. After Stacie cleared the girls' night out with her husband, she said she'd be at Chloe's at 8:15 for 'hair and make-up check.'

* * *

When Stacie and Chloe got to the club, the music was literally reverberating outside. The bass beats drew people in like bugs to a porch light. Chloe had a massive grin on her face as she waltzed to the VIP side of the door. "Beale, for two."

The bouncer looked her up and down and gave a low whistle. "No offense ma'am but DJ was right. You are a smoking hot redhead. Don't even have to check the list or your ID. I know exactly who you are." He waved another man over who showed them to a VIP area which was on a platform with a direct sightline to the raised DJ booth.

"What was that?" Stacie was shocked.

"I'm not sure if I should be offended or honored," Chloe giggled. Apparently, Beca had been talking about her to her colleagues. She unconsciously began to head bob and shift her hips with the beat of the music. "I'm thirsty." She grabbed Stacie's hand and went to head down the stairs when she ran into a cocktail waitress coming up.

"Hi, I'm Bonnie. What can I get you?" The pair looked at each other and grinned before placing their order. The server was back in a flash with their drinks. Stacie pulled out her credit card to start a tab, but the waitress waved her off. "DJ is taking care of things tonight. Just find me whenever you need a refill. Remember, I'm Bonnie."

Only a few other people were in the VIP area. When Stacie leaned against the railing overlooking the dance floor, she gave a low whistle. "Damn, Beale. We are certainly getting the VIP treatment." Stacie looked over to the DJ booth and caught a glimpse of Beca who was holding headphones set crooked over one ear while using the other hand to spin a turntable to blend one song into the next. The DJ was concentrating hard on the task at hand while nodding and dipping her head in time with the music.

"Fuck Red. That Beca?" Chloe nodded. "She _is_ hot. Damn sexy. I see why you are interested, at least physically." Stacie looked over at Chloe to see her friend with a broad smile as she gazed at the DJ.

Beca looked up and across the way. When she caught a glimpse of the amber haired woman she'd been waiting for, she flashed her thousand-watt smile and gave a questioning thumbs up. Chloe returned the thumbs up. She held up her drink and mouthed the words, _thank you._ "She is hot, isn't she?"

"You only been on one date?"

"Officially, yes."

"What are you waiting for Beale? Get on that train."

The pair alternated their time between the VIP area sipping on drinks and the dance floor dancing to the tunes the DJ was spinning, sweating out the alcohol they consumed. Every time Chloe looked up at the DJ booth, Beca was watching her – usually smiling from ear to ear. When their eyes would meet, the tiny DJ would normally wink and look back down to her spinning.

Knowing that Beca was keeping an eye on her, coupled with the numerous drinks she had downed, Chloe's dancing became flirtier, loosened up as she wanted to give Beca something to watch. Chloe was really into one particular song when Stacie announced she needed to go to the restroom. When the redhead got pouty, Stacie laughed and excused herself to go alone.

No sooner did her friend leave the dance floor did a man start dancing up against Chloe. She tried to shove him away a few times, but the drunken jerk kept coming back and putting his hands all over her. Even though she was intoxicated, Chloe was beginning to get nervous. Suddenly he was gone. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs and caught a glimpse of two bouncers dragging him out of the club.

Her eyes flashed up to Beca, who had a worried look on her face. The tiny DJ mouthed _Are you okay?_ Chloe nodded and gave her a booty shake for good measure.

* * *

Stacie and Chloe stayed until the last call. Bonnie told them that Beca would be done soon and had asked if they would wait out front. They made their way out of the club and into the sticky Birmingham summer air.

"That was great Chloe. Thanks for inviting me. We might need a girls' night out more often. I wouldn't mind hitting this club again. The DJ didn't disappoint," Stacie teased as she hip-checked her friend. The pair visited for a while until Beca came out and announced she was off work. After Stacie thanked her, she said that she was going to catch an Uber home. She gave her keys to Chloe in case she needed to move her car and worked out a plan to get Stacie's car back to her on Friday.

Once Stacie's car picked her up, Beca suggested they go to a late-night diner to cool off from the club and the outside humidity. She led Chloe to the back of the club where her motorcycle was and handed Chloe her helmet.

"What about you?" Chloe was concerned that Beca didn't have protection and the DJ only had one helmet.

"I'd rather you be protected. I'm a careful driver despite what some of my tenants think." She laughed as she climbed onto her bike and waited for Chloe to get on behind her. Once she started her motorcycle and made sure Chloe was securely holding onto her waist, Beca made her way to the diner. During the drive, the DJ was driving more carefully – not because she didn't have a helmet but because she was distracted by Chloe's arms wrapped around her waist.

"Pancakes? I thought you were a pizza and Thai girl?" Chloe and Beca had split a stack of chocolate chip pancakes.

"I thought you'd learned by now that I'd eat about anything." Beca took another bite and washed it down with some milk. She'd already gone through two glasses of water, explaining that the heat inside the club dried her out. "Plus, I'm up high above the floor, and heat rises." She pointed at the milk then the water. "Milk is for the pancakes. Water for me."

As the conversation turned to food, Chloe told her she could cook just about anything. "And if I don't know how, I'll consider it a challenge to learn. After knitting, I think cooking is my next favorite activity."

After they pushed away from their empty plates, Chloe continued to rave about how awesome Beca's music was at the club. "I can't believe you got us in the VIP area _and_ paid for our drinks."

Beca shrugged. "I didn't pay for your drinks. That's something the owner does for employee guests, and I have never had a guest before. Let's say he owes me. Anytime you want to come, feel free." Beca was proud Chloe liked her DJing and excited she'd made a good impression.

"Would you…"

"I thought we…"

The pair spoke at the same time and laughed. "Go ahead," Chloe said.

"Naw, you first." Beca grinned.

"I was going to ask if you would be interested in maybe going out with me again on Sunday." Suddenly Chloe was shy, almost fearful of being rejected.

The DJ laughed. "Hell yeah, I'm down for Sunday, being that was the exact question I was about to ask you."

"This time, it's my turn to plan." Chloe smiled as the butterflies she didn't know she had fluttered away from her stomach. "And your dinner-of-choice for letting me watch you work? That's an on-demand feature of this agreement, redeemable on request."

The pair got back on Beca's motorcycle, and the DJ safely delivered Chloe to the lofts. Chloe climbed off and gave the helmet back. When Beca sat the helmet on the seat of her bike, Chloe grasped both the DJ's hands. "Did I mention I had a superb time tonight?" The redhead pulled the DJ close to her face.

"Several times." Beca's breath was light, breathing shallow as she didn't know what was coming next.

"Good because I did!" Chloe veered off to one side and gave Beca a lingering kiss on her cheek before releasing her hands. "Night Beca," Chloe giggled as she turned and bounced inside and up the stairs leaving a stunned Beca outside wondering what had happened.


	9. Dates, Dates, Dates

**A/N: NSFW**

* * *

At the farmers' market on Saturday, Stacie grilled Chloe about what occurred after Chloe left with Beca from the club. Chloe told her about riding behind Beca on the motorcycle and late-night breakfast at the diner. "Oh, and I asked her out for tomorrow."

"What!? Chloe, you should have led with that. Do you have plans on where to take her?" The redhead nodded and told about what ideas she'd researched. "She's going to _adore _it. I smell lllloooovvveeee in the air." Chloe punched Stacie in the arm but loved the teasing. The redhead felt good about things.

"Stacie. I'm not sure what I'm doing here."

"You like her, right?

"Obviously. But..." Chloe posted. "Shit, Stacie. I'm not gay; well, I don't think so anyway." Chloe and Stacie talked a while longer – about Chloe's feelings and about the dreams which have been sneaking into her sleep. What she couldn't tell Stacie was how wrong her marriage to Tom had felt because she wasn't attracted to him one iota. Maybe Chloe was gayer than she thought.

Stacie assured Chloe that her feelings were valid, and if she didn't explore her sexuality and desires surrounding Beca, she might very well regret it. "And dreams!" Chloe giggled. "My dreams are quite vivid, you know. Oh the things I want to do to her." She rubbed her hands together with glee. "Who knows? I may just jump her bones tomorrow!"

* * *

Chloe wanted an early start on Sunday, so the women planned on getting started first thing in the morning. And since she didn't see Beca as a flower type of girl, she bypassed getting her some. When she got downstairs to pick Beca up, the DJ was waiting with a spray for her. "A pretty lady should always have pretty flowers. I have a vase you can use until we get back." She motioned over her shoulder. Chloe took her time arranging the flowers, trying to calm her excitement at how sweet Beca always was to her.

Chloe pulled up to their location and shut off the car. "We're here, she announced." She got a kick out of watching Beca's mouth fall open before her eyes lit up with excitement.

"What the… _Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum_? Like Geoge Barber, the Porsche race car driver from the sixties? Seriously? His car collection is here?" Beca threw open the car door and raced around to wait for Chloe to join her.

"Beca, do you not know anything about this place?"

The brunette shook her head. "No! I've never even heard of it."

"He didn't collect cars. After he retired, he started collecting and restoring vintage motorcycles."

"No fucking way!" Beca was now beyond pumped up. She not only did a lot of work on her Jeep; she also did the mechanic work on her motorcycle.

Chloe led the DJ to the museum and paid for their admission. They were fortunate that a docent-led tour was about to begin. As the man led them through the museum, they learned not only about the motorcycles but about the collection as a whole itself. "Many of Mr. Barber's beautiful, restored-to-racing-condition machines were part of the Guggenheim – _The Art of the Motorcycle_ exhibit. The bikes also actively participate in many races of historic motorcycles and continue to win."

They also discovered that the collection held the current Guinness World record for the world's most extensive motorcycle collection with over fourteen hundred bikes. After the tour, Beca and Chloe spent time going back to some of Beca's favorite sections which included the rare Harley-Davidsons and classic Indian motorcycles.

"Dude, do you watch that T.V. show, American Pickers? That one guy, Mike Wolfe, has like a bloodhound nose for Indian cycles. He can spot one at thirty-five feet up hidden behind ten feet of trash. The man is like a monkey when it comes to retrieving those Indian frames and engines, parts, and whatnot."

Chloe enjoyed watching Beca go apeshit over the motorcycles. If she hadn't thought the DJ was adorable before, she did now for sure. Chloe had hoped Beca hadn't been here before and had a backup plan just in case. Luckily, she didn't have to go with Plan B because the motorcycle museum was an absolute winner.

When they were walking back to the car, Beca surprised Chloe by slipping her hand into the redhead's. The action was natural, not forced – and it felt right. Chloe felt a small spark somewhere below her navel that she couldn't quite identify but decided not to question, only enjoy. A bit of one of her dreams slipped into her mind, and she quickly pushed it from her thoughts.

* * *

After the museum, the pair decided they were both hungry. Chloe hadn't chosen a restaurant because she wasn't sure which of her plans she was going to be going with or what they'd be in the mood for. They huddled over the Yelp app on Chloe's phone and finally decided on a nearby sports bar which touted several exciting beers on tap and a variety of food.

As the DJ popped a fried pickle slice into her mouth, Chloe realized that the Beca had a smile as wide as hers and caught herself staring at the brunette when the DJ asked, "what Beale? Do I have something on my face?" She unconsciously wiped at her mouth.

"No," Chloe giggled. "I'm just looking. Did you enjoy the museum?"

"Does a leopard have spots? Duh, yeah, Chloe. That was Incredible. I'm curious how you know more about my hometown that I do." She popped another fried pickle into her mouth. "You like what you see?" Chloe shot her a questioning look. "You said you were just looking." Beca grinned as Chloe blushed.

The women stayed at the sports bar a while cheering on some soccer game which was playing, the announcing yelling in a language neither of them understood. When it was time to go, Beca scooted out of her side of the booth and held a hand out for Chloe. As Chloe grasped Beca's fingers, she interlocked them together and didn't let go until time to get in the car.

* * *

The drive back to the loft was quiet as the two listened only to the low music coming from a local radio station. Neither woman seemed concerned about adjusting the volume or changing the station. Chloe's mind was racing the entire drive back, trying to decide how she was going to play whatever happened next. She recalled her conversation with Stacie the day before. She liked Beca a lot, and she _really_ liked her dreams which had been scattered through her sleep.

The pair walked to Beca's loft holding hands. As they stood right by her door, Chloe turned to face her. She studied Beca's face before sliding both hands up to cup the brunette's cheeks. The redhead pressed her lips against those of the surprised DJ for a gentle yet somewhat long, lingering kiss. Chloe then pushed away, smiled, and raced up the stairs again, leaving Beca in a state of shock. Her nerves had gotten the best of her that single kiss had about done her in.

Beca unlocked her door and entered her loft, slumping back against her door thinking about the redhead's unexpected yet far too short kiss. Not much time had passed before she heard a thundering of feet pounding down the stairs and a loud banging on her door. When Beca opened the door, a blur of red hair came flashing in and grasped her face again in both hands.

This time Chloe's kiss was harder, demanding. It was all Beca could do to stay on her feet as Chloe pushed her back to the couch, tongue pressed inside her mouth, probing and exploring, hands tangled in her hair. As the back of her knees hit the couch, Beca fell with the redhead landing on her. As they tumbled to the sofa, their teeth clinked together and mouths separated, and they both looked at each other laughing.

After making sure each other was okay, their lips met again, this time more tenderly as each woman soaked in the energy created by the touch of the other. Chloe felt as though she was melting as Beca's kiss was more than she could handle. The longer she lay on top of the DJ, the more intertwined their bodies became. Such power it took for her to push off Beca again as their lips lingered on the other while they caught their breath and looked into each other's eyes.

"You are so beautiful," Beca murmured as she nipped Chloe's lip between her teeth, causing the redhead's breath to hitch. "You okay with this?" Chloe nodded.

A few more murmured words were lost as the women's mouths merged again. The passion was deep yet gentle. The aching desire had come from nowhere; yet if both women were honest with themselves, the attraction had been growing for a while. The longing was becoming difficult to control.

As bad as Beca wanted the redhead, she wanted to go slowly, to savor each tingling sensation coursing through her body. And while Chloe had never felt such intense feelings for someone and wanted to act on them, she was terrified since this was new territory for her.

Without her thinking about it, Chloe's hand floated gently across Beca's chest, gliding across each breast, pausing when Beca's breaths would deepen, and her kissing would slow. The brunette would then ravish her tongue into Chloe's mouth, flicking and caressing every bit she could reach.

"Fuck, Chlo." Beca was struggling to stay in control and wanted more of the woman on top of her. She gently pushed Chloe so the redhead would move away. The DJ got to her feet, pulling Chloe up along with her. The shorter woman began to brush her tongue up the redhead's throat and down her neck as chill bumps rose on Chloe's arms. She looked at redhead until Chloe opened her eyes as the two stared at each other.

When Chloe gave a slight nod of her head, Beca dipped her head down to again find Chloe's mouth with her own. Their lips locked as Beca reached down for Chloe's legs and hitched her onto her sturdy hips. Beca was surprisingly strong for a woman of such small stature. She could feel the heat and moisture of Chloe's body as Chloe wrapped her legs around Beca's back and Beca disappeared into her bedroom carrying the other woman.

* * *

The next morning, Beca woke up bright light shining in the window and a full weight laying on her chest. When she saw the heft was attached to a shock of red hair, a warm feeling rose within her. The night before had been beautiful. She and Chloe had made it to the bedroom without Beca dropping her, which was a miracle in itself, especially since Beca's knees were so weak from the things Chloe was doing to her neck.

When they fell into bed, Chloe began laughing. At first, Beca was shocked, almost offended until she realized that Chloe's emotions had turned from passionate to nervous. The redhead admitted to Beca she'd never been with a woman before and was scared, terrified in fact. The brunette assured her they didn't have to do anything Chloe wasn't ready for.

Beca's reassurances boosted Chloe's confidence. So Chloe positioned herself on top of the brunette and began kissing her again with her body wedged between Beca's legs, the DJ couldn't keep from moaning since Chloe seemed to be behaving quite the opposite of what she claimed. She didn't seem nervous at all.

When the sexy, sultry sounds began to come out of Beca's mouth, Chloe stopped and started apologizing repeatedly. Beca explained she just felt incredible but didn't have to stop. In fact, she didn't want Chloe to stop. Well, that did it. Chloe then spent the rest of the night teasing Beca, knowing full well what she was doing to the building super. Finally, Chloe found a sweet spot with her hips and began riding Beca's clit with her pubic bone while ravishing her mouth and neck and ears, her elbows locked over Beca's shoulders. The brunette was fighting the sensations coursing through her body, afraid that at any moment, Chloe would realize what was happening and stop.

But she didn't. When Beca finally got her release and screamed Chloe's name as she shuddered under the redhead's hips, Beca felt the other woman whispering in her ear and slowing her movements as Beca came down from her high. Beca looked at the redhead with heavily lidded eyes. "Mmmm, Chloe. What was that about? I thought you were nervous."

Chloe just smirked and exclaimed she couldn't let Beca go to sleep with proverbial blue balls. They spent a few more minutes kissing before Chloe snuggled into Beca's chest with the woman's arm around her as they both drifted off to sleep.

And this was the way Beca woke up, with her arms wrapped around the redhead and Chloe snuggled into her chest. Beca kissed Chloe on the head and ran her hands across the woman's shoulders. She shifted Chloe over onto her back and began to kiss her – her face, her neck, her chest. She decided turnabout was fair play and decided to see how far she could push the woman. Chloe's shirt was still on, but Beca captured one of the redhead's nipples between her teeth and gave it a light bite. She grinned as Chloe's body began to move as she woke up. Beca ducked her head down further, lifted Chloe's shirt and began to run her tongue across her stomach.

A hand started running through her hair, and Beca looked up to see Chloe smiling down at her. She moved back up to give Chloe a soft kiss. "Sleep okay, Chlo?" The redhead nodded. "You know… for someone who has never been with a woman before and was scared, you sure did do a number on me."

Chloe gave a mischievous grin. "I am a woman myself and know what feels good. Besides, you aren't exactly quiet when you are excited. Lets me know I'm on the right track."

Beca rolled over on top of Chloe and leaned in for another kiss. "I meant what I said last night. I don't want to pressure you into anything."

"You aren't." About that time, Beca's stomach started growling. "Damn Beca, that's a loud noise from such a little tummy."

Beca rubbed her stomach in embarrassment. "Umm, you know me and food. Bottomless pit here." They decided they should stop their flirting in the name of eating. Each would shower at their respective places, then Beca would come up to Chloe's for breakfast.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Beca and Chloe settled into a comfortable routine. Beca would DJ at the club on Thursdays and Fridays with Chloe always coming to listen and dance on Thursday and sometimes Friday as well. Chloe would spend Saturday at the farmers' market. Sundays were their standing date days or nights.

Chloe always cooked on Tuesday. She also made an effort to go with Beca whenever she volunteered at the youth center. Only a large doll order would keep her from work at the center. Despite the night they shared, Chloe's guilt and uncertainty of her sexuality overrode her desire for Beca, and the two did not spend any more nights together. Long make-out sessions ended with both women retiring to their respective lofts.

One particular Tuesday after Chloe had brought Beca dinner, she stayed downstairs visiting the DJ. "You remember when you came to get your lease, what I said about being the building super?" Beca was rubbing Chloe's feet.

"Ummm yeah that you were the building super. Then you had me sign my lease."

Beca chuckled. "Ummm not quite. You asked if I was the super and my words were, 'I suppose you can say that."' Chloe looked at her funny. "For the sake of being honest, I'm more than just a building supervisor. I own the building." Chloe stayed silent. "Just like I own that land where we went on our first date."

"Okay." Chloe still seemed confused.

"You asked me why I came to Birmingham. I had gotten an inheritance, and real estate is dirt cheap here. So I invested." She shrugged. "I have this building and two others in the area. And that land outside of town. I guess my long-term goals are to build a house out there. Get some chickens, maybe a goat?"

Chloe kept quiet for a few moments before saying, "a goat? Seriously?" For some reason, Chloe began laughing.

"Whew." Beca mock wiped her brow. "I thought you had tuned me out there for a moment. "You're not mad at me, are you? For not being upfront about being the owner, not the building super?"

"Gracious no, Becs. If anything, I'm impressed with your accomplishments – slum lord and all." Beca tweaked Chloe's big toe at the phrase 'slum lord.' "It does make better sense now that you DJ 'on the side' two nights a week and spend some weekdays volunteering."

"Most of my income comes from real estate. I've felt guilty at not being completely honest with you; so now you know. If we are going to continue to move this relationship forward, which I hope we do, I wanted to make sure I was upfront."

Since Beca had shared about herself for the sake of being more transparent, Chloe felt a twinge of guilt about not divulging her past. Her stomach was nauseous even thinking about the life she left behind in Long Island but decided not to open that can of worms. Perhaps someday she could come clean, but she wasn't ready yet for that.

* * *

"I'm calling in my dinner-on-demand," Beca boasted on Sunday as they returned from the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum and Kelly Ingram Park. "This Tuesday. The menu is up to you. We need a respite from the heaviness of our sightseeing today, something to look forward to."

Both women enjoyed living the rich history of Birmingham, but the park had some particularly intense sculptures representing events from the Civil Rights demonstrations in Birmingham during the 1960s. One piece of art was dedicated to the foot soldiers of the peaceful protests and depicted an angry police officer towering over a young boy, holding the lapel of his shirt. Both the boy's arms were thrown back to express his non-violent intentions while the officer's snarling dog was not far from attacking the boy as well.

One of the most terrifying sculptures for Beca was scrap iron depicting three vicious police dogs snapping about face level at anyone who walked between them. The jagged metal welds gave the dogs a scarred look much like pit bulls that had fought for their lives. As the women walked between them, they imagined the terror of the assaults on the civil rights marchers by the canines as well as the water cannons the police used to defeat the crowds.

Chloe agreed that a special Tuesday dinner which would lighten the mood and give them both something pleasant to look forward to later in the week.

* * *

Chloe nervously planned out Beca's special dinner. She'd been counting on the DJ requesting a favorite meal or challenging her with a new recipe. She hadn't expected to come up with a menu on her own. The redhead finally decided to push her limits and try pan-roasted duck breast with pomegranate-citrus glaze. She'd set the meat over wilted greens and serve roasted turnips on the side. Chloe crossed her fingers that Beca had some refined tastes and would enjoy the meal.

She went to the market on Monday to gather the ingredients she would need and resisted cooking a test batch of duck that night. Chloe had gone over the recipe she had found and was confident in her ability to pull it off. She'd also gotten two extra breasts to ensure she had extras in case she messed up. Also, the woman whose blog she was reading suggested left-over duck was almost as good as the original meal.

On Tuesday, Chloe had timed the meal perfectly. Beca let herself in the loft armed with a bottle of Pinot Noir. The redhead had set the table ahead of time but asked Beca help by dressing the salad and arranging the greens on the plates. Chloe had kept the menu a secret from her, telling her only what wine to bring.

When the DJ learned what Chloe was serving, she got excited about her "fancy dinner." Beca uncorked the wine and poured both the chef and her a glass. "Smells good Chlo."

"Hope you like duck." Chloe finished the presentation and placed the plates at their places. "And turnips. I've never cooked this menu before."

"Well I've never had duck; so this is a new experience for us both."

The meal went off without a hitch, and both women demolished the food on their plates. "Glad that worked out Beca. I have duck leftover in the refrigerator. I found a few good salad recipes we can have tomorrow or Thursday for lunch." They cleaned off the table together and got the dishes washed.

Beca agreed that the duck recipe was undoubtedly worth saving and had moved to the top ten of her request list.

Chloe got up to retrieve the wine bottle and split the rest between their two glasses. They had never talked about the night the redhead had spent with Beca downstairs, which could explain why Beca had been nervously chattering about random things.

The redhead stood in front of Beca who was slumped down on the couch, her legs stretched out across the floor. Chloe's eyes never left Beca's face as she poured the wine. The redhead wanted to see the reaction she would get. She had put a great deal of thought into what she was ready for and decided she was prepared to move forward with her physical relationship with the brunette. She and Beca had been flirting back and forth since that lone night together. Frankly, Choe wasn't in the mood for the flirting to continue without acting on her feelings.

Beca's eyes widened as Chloe slid her legs over the smaller girl's and straddled her. Beca's eyes involuntarily rolled back in her head as the redhead squeezed her thighs around Beca and settled down. A soft moan slipped from Beca's mouth as she recalled the one night the pair had slept together. Her mind, too, had been running rampant since that night. She let her eyes drift shut. Whatever she might have been saying was lost in her mind.

Beca realized she could feel Chloe's breath on her face and slowly opened her eyes to find Chloe about three inches from her face. "You were saying?"

"I, ummm…" Beca wasn't able to pull any words into her mind.

"Yes?" Chloe murmured as she brushed their lips together.

"Well… I…" Beca closed her eyes again. She wanted to press her lips into Chloe's but found she couldn't move. Like she was in a trance.

"Come on, Beca. You've yet to finish a sentence. What are you thinking?" Chloe's voice was calm yet teasing. "Share with me, babe. Please." Chole was enjoying watching Beca, whose breathing was growing deeper and labored. "Tell me, Becs; what do you want?" Chloe knew there was no turning back now yet slowly rocked backward, away from Beca.

Instantly Beca's arms were around Chloe's back. She would not allow the redhead to move away. Her stormy blue eyes opened and locked onto Chloe's. And for a brief moment, she was lost in Chloe's beautiful, bright blue eyes that she had found so enchanting many weeks ago.

"You have gorgeous eyes, Chloe." Beca was at a loss for fancier words so decided to state the obvious.

"Thank you." Chloe again leaned away from Beca. This time Beca pulled her in tighter, not allowing Chloe to escape.

"I only expected dinner when you invited me up here. I know one thing, though…" Beca paused. Her eyes narrowed as she continued to gaze into the eyes before her.

"What's that?"

"I want you, Chloe. I've wanted you. All of you. Not this one-sided tease you gave me last time or the flirts ever since. Don't get me wrong; I love flirting with you. But I want you."

Chloe ran her fingers and tongue along Beca's neck as the woman pressed her fingers into Chloe's lower back and slowly slid her hands beneath Chloe's shirt. The smooth, silky feeling of skin along her fingertips was just as she had imagined. Beca eased Chloe's shirt over her head, slowly dragging her fingers back down Chloe's body and unclasped her bra that restrained her breasts and let the material fall to the couch.

Cupping a breast in one hand, Beca started her tongue right behind Chloe's ear, down her curving neck, across her ivory shoulders, right down to the nipple of the opposite breast. Her flicking tongue met the already hard nipple, and she could not resist anymore and filled her mouth with Chloe's breast. The redhead's small grunts of pleasure encouraged Beca to continue.

She turned and rolled Chloe off her lap and onto her back onto the couch, her mouth still wrapped around Chloe's breast. As Beca reached back to untuck her own shirt so they could be skin to skin, Chloe's hands stopped her. Chloe then pulled on the material just slow enough to make Beca lose her concentration. Beca stopped sucking and became motionless. Again, time stood still.

Chloe thought she was about to explode. She slid her leg between Beca's thighs and pulled the brunette down onto her leg, rubbing and pushing as Beca ripped at her own tank top, finally getting it off. Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca's now naked torso and pulled Chloe firmly into her, back down on her skin. Chloe rose up just enough to find Beca's mouth. That tongue, those lips, the DJ could hardly stand it any longer.

Beca ran her tongue over Chloe's stomach, inching down her body. "Becs," Chloe whimpered. "Please Beca; please touch me." Chloe was trembling with anticipation.

The DJ immediately obliged with what was meant to be a quick pass of her hand beneath Chloe's shorts, but the fire hot moisture that met her fingertips broke all remaining restraint as she plunged her fingers deep within the redhead. Chloe's low, guttural moan told her that indeed was what Chloe had wanted. Chloe's fingers dug deeply in Beca's back let her know that she was not to stop. Chloe's hips rose off the couch, allowing Beca to go deeper inside her.

Beca moved slowly, knowing that with each long stroke, the agony was building. Chloe's wet, velvety texture made her almost lose concentration, but Chloe's thigh slowly pressing into her body kept her very much conscious of the woman beneath her.

As she curled her fingers upward, Beca felt more wetness dripping down her wrist. The brunette couldn't control a moan escaping her lips as she pressed herself down on Chloe's leg, trying to find friction for some relief. Feeling Chloe turned Beca on beyond belief. Touching her was erotic.

Beca found the redhead's clit with her palm and began to press in circular motions. Chloe rewarded her with light nips on her shoulder. Beca pulled her fingers out a bit so she could start to tease her clit with her thumb. Alternating between Chloe's clit and thrusting her fingers to reach her g-spot. The woman beneath her was quickly becoming unwound.

Leaning back, Beca looked at her. Chloe's eyes closed as Beca massaged her wet crotch with her palm. She must have sensed Beca was watching her because her eyes opened slightly. A grin spread across her face when she caught Beca watching. As she bit her lower lip, Chloe's eyes shut once more as Beca crawled on to her knees to reach Chloe with both hands – one hand deep inside her and the other rapidly circling her clit.

"MMMmmm you feel good." Beca leaned forward to talk directly into her ear, licking her earlobe with my tongue before sucking it briefly into her mouth. Chloe wrapped her arms DJ as she cried out for more, deeper, faster. Beca gave her just that – hard, swift, rhythmically, and deep movements. The DJ began to slow her ministrations on Chloe's clit, but the woman called out for Beca to not stop. Her moans soon turned to begs and other indeterminable noises.

Chloe pulled Beca down to kiss her, not understanding that Chloe could have Beca's mouth on hers or her other hand on her clit – but not both. "Fuck, Beca. Yesssssssssssssssss." Chloe's movements were becoming more frantic as her clit swelled with pleasure. Beca felt Chloe's body tightened around her then spasm hard as she let go of all her inhibitions and fell over the edge.

"God Becs," Chloe panted. But Beca wasn't finished. She quickly withdrew her fingers and moved down Chloe's body to suck on her clit as Chloe gasped in surprise. Beca let the redhead's orgasm continue to ride in prolonged, hard spasms continuously. As Chloe's body was about to relax, Beca drove her fingers back deep inside as Chloe's body fought to keep Beca out.

She crawled back up Chloe's body to give the woman the other thing she wanted – her mouth. Beca pressed against Chloe's orgasms as she sucked the woman's tongue in her mouth. Eventually, Chloe cried out, and her body collapsed in utter exhaustion. Beca lay on top of the other woman and laid her head on her chest, listening to the redhead's heart pound, knowing she was fully satiated.

When the adrenaline seemed to wane from both their bodies, they crawled off the couch and made their way to Chloe's bed.


	10. A Visit From Nick

**A/N: NSFW**

* * *

For some reason, the pair never discussed their time spent in bed together. Both women enjoyed the adult activities to no end; they just never talked about it. Maybe they took it for granted; perhaps one didn't want to embarrass the other. But neither woman seemed to be bothered with the conversation never heading in that direction.

When Chloe got an e-mail from Nick that he had some extended time off, enough to return to the states, she was ecstatic. He was going to come to Birmingham for a short stay before going to visit his parents. Chloe figured he only wanted to make sure his plants were indeed still alive home but knew he probably wanted to take care of anything that had come up in his absence. Chloe was looking forward to spending some more time with him in person since all their interactions had been through text messages or FaceTime.

Nick said he wouldn't mind sleeping on the futon in the artist's loft, but Chloe insisted that it would be silly because the entire place was his. She was only borrowing it. When she told him that she could stay with Beca, this led to a whole new conversation about her dating Beca since this was news to him. He pushed her pretty hard for details, but the redhead wasn't divulging any.

When Chloe picked Nick up at the airport, he immediately began to drill her again about the building super. He was fascinated by Chloe's ability to breaking through the walls that defined Beca Mitchell. He also wanted to know what she kept in her "dragon's lair." He explained that Beca was an excellent super but kept to herself, not opening up to any of her tenants. The longer Chloe spent with Nick, the more she liked him. His playful personality shown through much better in person. The redhead quickly realized why Beca was so fond of Nick as a tenant and as a friend.

After he left to visit his parents, Chloe went to the loft to find her bag of stock knitted dolls empty. Nick had taken to posing her babies everywhere around the loft. In every chair, on the couch, even in the plants. She was forever finding knitted dolls everywhere, including with the dishes and in the pantry. Shortly after that, she started getting tagged from a new Instagram account called dollsbeingdomestic. In fact, that's how she eventually found all the dolls since Nick was particularly sneaky about where he had hidden some.

* * *

Once Nick left, Chloe and Beca had a problematic time reverting to how things had been in their relationship before his visit. The DJ wanted the redhead to stay at her place more often, insisting she got too lonely without her. While Chloe was beginning to trust the smaller woman more and more, she wasn't quite ready to give up her full independence yet. Chloe was willing to give up maybe three nights a week and only if they alternated lofts.

No matter how much she enjoyed Beca's company, Chloe wasn't ready to let anyone take away her self-sufficiency. Also, Chloe considered herself an extroverted introvert who needed to be alone periodically to recharge her batteries. This information came as a surprise to Jessica and Stacie as well since they only saw her chipper, bright self. But without some alone time, Chloe quickly ran out of gas.

So, the pattern continued. Chloe spent Thursdays at the club listening to Beca spin, Saturday at the farmers' market, Sundays were reserved for official dates and Chloe always cooked on Tuesdays. The rest of the time – they played things by ear.

* * *

Meanwhile back in New York, Jessica and Jeff had finished their part of the EP and sent the tracks to a friend for mixing and mastering. While they had some critical financial sponsors, most of the money for the project was brought in with their crowd-funding. The fully financed album only had the costs of fulfilling the crowd-funding perks. Once their EP was pressed and packaged, the band was ready to hit the road.

"I can't believe our CD-release party is here already, Chloe." Jessica's voice was bubbling with excitement. She had taken some time to get used to using the redhead's new name, but it was now second nature. "I wish you could be here. It doesn't seem right without you here. You've always had faith in me and supported me in everything."

Chloe told her friend she wished she could be there, too, but returning to New York wasn't in the cards for her – at least not for a while. "I'll be thinking about you, though, for what that's worth."

"It's worth the world." The two visited a bit longer about Jessica and Jeff's setlist, the venue, and the excitement that was being pumped up around the event. The band had some excellent contacts and lucked out when they landed a good promoter. They were well on their way to musical success.

Chloe had already ordered flowers for her friend to be delivered before the show the next day. She sent the most massive spray she could find online. Her message on the card was: _Knock 'em dead Jess. Love, Your Biggest Fan, C._

She honestly wanted to be there for Jessica, but the thought of going back to New York made her nauseous. Maybe someday she would be able to go back to the state, but the time was not right. Jessica had promised her they would take a tour of the southern states and include Birmingham as one of the stops.

* * *

A week or so later, Chloe came home from the farmers' market to a large padded envelope from the mailman. After putting up her dolls and orders, Chloe poured some ice tea and sat on the couch. After dumping out the contents, she found three CD's from Jessica that she and Jeff had both signed. Chloe also pulled out a band t-shirt that had only been available since the CD release party along with some other band swag. The redhead wasn't expecting anything from Jessica or the band, and this act of kindness made her heart melt.

_Dear Chloe, _

_Thank you so much for your love and support for so many years. You serve as an inspiration as a woman who fixes her sight on a goal and doesn't let anything get in the way of meeting that goal._

_I thought you could give these CDs to Stacie, who has obviously taken my place in your life – thankyouverymuch – and Beca who is making you happier than you've ever been. _

_Maybe on Saturdays, you can wear our shirt and keep a few of the band cards at the stand. ~wink, wink~ I can't wait to tour near you soon. _

_I miss you, Chloe!_

_Always,  
__Jessica_

* * *

Another Sunday was approaching, and this week was Beca's turn to plan their date. After a great deal of thought, she made the arrangements and told Chloe to pack a bag for three nights. The doll materials were invited, too, as that was Chloe's income. Her commitment to her customers remained a one-week turnaround for customized dolls. "We're having a stay-cation here in town, Chlo, but I think you'll enjoy it. At least I hope so."

The DJ picked Chloe up mid-morning then they made their way to their destination. Beca was driving Chloe's car and pulled up to a mid-nineteenth century Victorian house. "Ma'dam, welcome to your home for the next three nights." She raced around the car to open Chloe's door for her then retrieved their bags from the trunk.

As Beca checked them in, Chloe wandered around taking in the period-correct feel of the fully renovated house. The antiques and cozy touches made her feel at home despite not having lived in the Victorian era. Their room was expansive, complete with Victorian furniture, a marble fireplace, gorgeous wood floors, and window trim. While the décor screamed mid-eighteen hundreds, the room equipped with the creature comforts of the twenty-first century.

"Beca this is amazing. How did you find this place?"

"You like it?"

Chloe nodded.

"One of the bouncers at the club spent his honeymoon here and recommended the place."

Chloe sprawled out on the four-poster bed on her stomach with her chin propped on her hands. "Beale-approved with two thumbs up."

Beca came flying in to land on top of her and pinned her to the soft mattress. She gazed into Chloe's eyes for a few moments before speaking. "I'm glad you like it. I decided we needed a special trip for our special occasion."

Chloe was confused as she looked at Beca.

"Surely you know what today is? Right?"

Chloe freaked a bit since she apparently had forgotten something important.

"It's the seventh month, third week, and second day anniversary of our first date." Beca puffed out her chest, proud to have memorized what she had been practicing. She leaned over and kissed Chloe softly, gently.

"You… are a mess." The redhead rolled over and strengthened the kiss. Kissing Beca was one thing she could never tire of. The woman was amazing, and when they were together, Chloe knew that Beca was the piece of her life that had been missing. Chloe's kiss became more intense as she slipped her leg between Beca's and applied pressure right where she knew the brunette liked it, how she liked it.

Beca pushed back as she chuckled. "Slow down there, killer." Chloe's pout was hard to resist, but Beca had each day planned out and getting wrapped up in her girlfriend would put a fork in Sunday afternoon's plans. She explained this to Chloe, who teasingly rolled her eyes before moving away from Beca.

Not too long after, Chloe answered the knock on their hotel door. Two women stood there, each carrying a table and bag. The redhead glanced over her shoulder at Beca. "Ohhh kinky."

"Shut it, Beale. We have a couple's massage. I thought things might be a bit more intimate in our room than in the spa."

Chloe responded by raising her eyebrows. "I can't say I've ever had a couple's massage. I've only had one massage ever in my life. Okay, I'm game."

The couple went into the bathroom to change into robes, removing as much clothing they were comfortable with. The lead masseuse explained they would be completely covered with a sheet at all times, but some women were more comfortable leaving their bra and panties on. Chloe giggled as she went full commando before pulling on her robe and tying it around her.

As they exited the bathroom, Beca and Chloe were presented with chocolate and flutes of champagne while the masseuses set up both tables. Each woman selected lavender for their hour-long aromatherapy massage. They started on their stomachs as the masseuses turned on some low calming music got started. The workers began rubbing and kneading the muscles and joints of the back before moving to the arms, head, legs, and feet. The moans and groans of relaxation coming from Chloe and Beca were enough to embarrass any red-blooded American.

The couple finished their massages on their backs. As Chloe thought the experience was almost over, she glanced at Beca who hadn't moved at all. The workers announced they would be ending the perfect in-house spa experience with another hour of a fruit facial. By the time the pair rolled off the tables, their bodies and minds were little more than mush noodles. They were handed fresh fruit water and told to stay well-hydrated for the rest of the day.

Beca had arranged for them to keep the spa robes. After the workers had packed up their belongings, the DJ saw them to the door as she tipped them on the way out. Chloe was sprawled out on the couch, much like she had earlier been on the bed. The brunette grinned as she scooted into the small space between her girlfriend and the edge of the couch. "You enjoy that?"

"Mmmm," Chloe seemed only to be able to make noises. After a bit, she gave a legible response. "I loved it. Why haven't I been getting these all my life? Thank you so much, Beca."

"Maybe this is something we'll have to continue, hmm?" The brunette pulled Chloe over to her. "We fit together just right; do you know that?" They enjoyed the silence for a while before Beca spoke again. "Dinner reservations at 7:00. Think we'll make it?"

"Mmmmm."

"I'll take that as a yes. Why don't you hop in the shower? It's been long enough for our oils to soak in."

Without a verbal response other than a grumble, Chloe got up and staggered to the bathroom. Their earlier room tour had uncovered a double-sized shower along with a freestanding, claw-foot tub. Beca heard the water start running and went to pull out outfits for each of them. As she passed by the bathroom, Beca caught a glimpse of her girlfriend through the steam.

Beca could see Chloe's soft outline through the lightly etched, glass shower door as steam billowed from the top of the stall. She watched as Chloe stood under the scalding water, moving her hands down the length of her body then back up to her breasts. The massage had turned Chloe on in ways Beca was not aware.

The redhead tilted her head back, exposing her neck as she slowly caressed her chest. She moved one hand slowly down to her stomach and then inner thigh, making slow movements up and down with both hands. As Chloe's back arched, Beca got a distinct feeling that her girlfriend seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her shower.

Beca watched for an eternity struggling between wanting to join Chloe or to watch her. The DJ's body was urging her to slip in the shower and have her way with the redhead. Beca snapped back to reality as the water stream stopped. But her desire was not allayed. Chloe opened the shower door and reached for the absent towel. Beca wasn't sure when she had picked it up but held it out for the redhead who pulled it towards her.

Only when Beca gave some resistance to her pull did Chloe open her eyes to show a soft smile. The DJ took the towel back and motioned for Chloe to turn around. She slowly patted the towel down Chloe's back, wiping the dripping water as it trickled down her legs. Beca bent down to get the bottom of Chloe's legs dry as the redhead began to shiver.

Beca moved back up her body, placed her hands on Chloe's shoulders, and pulled her around to face her. She slowly dried the dripping water from Chloe's perky, nipples which were hard almost. Beca didn't want the moment interrupted by words so covered Chloe's mouth with her own as the redhead started to speak. The kiss was long and soft, long enough for Chloe to forget what she was going to say. As Chloe's tongue darted out to flick against Beca's lips, the brunette almost forgot what she was doing.

Beca pulled away, putting her fingers to Chloe's lips. The redhead gently bit the tips, slowly sucking each finger as Beca continued to dry the water from her body. A bead of water was sitting on the edge of Chloe's belly button. Beca ducked her head and slowly licked it off before moving her tongue down further to Chloe's inner thigh.

Chloe shivered again as Beca moved the towel between her thighs. The redhead parted her legs as an invitation. Now Beca couldn't tell if the shivering was from her touches or from being cold or maybe both. Once Chloe's body was dry, Beca led her to the bedroom. She dropped her robe and pulled a naked Chloe into bed intending to get her warm again. Scratch that. Hot. Hot and wet.

When Chloe asked about the reservations, Beca held up a finger and dialed the innkeeper asking her to call the restaurant and rebook for their third night. She then turned back to the redhead. "Now, where were we?"

Beca pressed her front against Chloe's back, suppressing the chills as best she could. Her breasts pressed against Chloe's back; the warmth made Beca's nipples hard. She pulled Chloe's wet hair from her neck and placed small nibbling kisses up and down her neck. The redhead tossed her head back and let out a muffled moan which let Beca know she was kissing in the right places.

The brunette moved her hand to Chloe's shoulder, slowly stroking back and forth down the length of her arm. Chloe's fingers tightened around hers before her body wriggled around to face the smaller woman. Beca unentangled her fingers from Chloe's and slowly moved up her side until each hand was placed firmly over a breast. Her nipples were erect, and as Beca brushed her fingers slowly over them, her back arched away. Chloe gently grasped one of Beca's hand and pushed it down her stomach.

The redhead was definitely not cold any longer; the heat emanating from her body was overwhelming. She parted her thighs to make sure Beca knew there was room for her hand. The slick wetness Beca felt was _not_ from the shower. Not knowing how worked up Chloe was, Beca began to toy with her clit. The redhead started to whimper and suck Beca's shoulder, one of Beca's weak spots. As much as the brunette wanted her girlfriend and as high as Chloe was lifting her hips, inviting the DJ into her body, Beca was determined to go slow.

Another moan...yet louder this time. Beca slipped just inside Chloe, slowly despite Chloe lifting her leg to encourage Beca to venture in deeper. Her fingers did just that as Chloe lifted her hips for more room. Beca slowly stroked in out, deep as she wanted but at the pace she set. Soon Chloe was whimpering, begging for relief. She whimpered, tightening her legs around Beca as Beca put her thumb on her clit and began moving it in slow rhythm with her other fingers deep inside.

Chloe's body exploded as it spasmed around Beca's hand, so much that Beca could not resist tasting the fluid draining from her girlfriend. She rewarded Chloe by slipping in a third finger while she moved down to place her tongue on Chloe's clit. The redhead's body arched off the bed as she grabbed the back of Beca's head to push Beca to suck and flick harder on her clit. At this point, Chloe was screaming with each thrust and losing control more and more by the second. As Beca curled her fingers to reach the spot that always sent Chloe over the edge, the redhead's body tightened around Beca's hand, crushing her fingers in the process.

Chloe frantically pulled Beca up her body and crawled on top of her. She began licking her juices from the brunette's face and sucking Beca's tongue into her mouth, promising she was about to fuck the DJ as she'd never been fucked before. Beca kissed her deeply, allowing Chloe to feel the control the brunette was about to give up. She knew Chloe's adrenaline still ran high from her multiple orgasms and likely was still turned on as hell.

Chloe swiped one hand through Beca's wetness and loudly keened as she shoved her backward. She traced Beca's breasts with the moisture on her fingers before latching on one of her nipples and sucking hard. She then moved her mouth to the underside of Beca's breast to suck on the skin and marking Beca as her property with dark purple bruises. One of the things that Beca liked most was when Chloe lost control like this and showed her possessive, almost animalistic side.

"Ride me, Chloe," Beca whispered as she tugged at the redhead's hips, pulled her body atop hers. The redhead's eyes were gleaming as she chewed on her bottom lip as she settled between Beca's legs. Beca moved her hands up and down Chloe's back before grabbing her ass, pulling the woman up towards her then pushing her down. Then back up, their wetness sliding together.

Chloe dipped her head close to Beca's, kissing her so deeply that the DJ thought she'd lose her breath. Chloe was trembling again, and that was enough to make the tingly sensations begin to build for Beca. She knew she wouldn't last long, and it wouldn't take much to push her over the edge.

Soon the women were moaning together and separately as their bodies moved feverishly against each other. Chloe tried to reach between them, to touch Beca but Beca captured her hand and forced her to keep riding her. She was so close, and she could tell by Chloe's noises and actions she was, as well. Beca opened her eyes. "Chloe. Chloe! Look at me. I want you to see me come." Chloe grinned at her girlfriend as she struggled to keep her eyes from screwing shut as they both orgasmed harder than ever before.

Almost instantaneously, they fell limp on the mattress together as if they drained their souls to each other. Chloe didn't have enough energy to move off Beca who was trailing her hand in her hair. Chloe tucked one hand under her chin and stared at Beca whose eyes locked on her. Although the two had never confessed their feelings to each other, the looks they shared at that moment proved that belonged to each other.

Beca put her arms around Chloe, squeezing gently as a low sigh escaped her mouth. "Chloe?" Beca's voice was quiet, timid.

"Yes?" Chloe's was hopeful.

"Ummm you felt good. Thanks."


	11. Coming to Grips with Emotions

Sometime during the night, Chloe woke up and found her body completely wrapped up in Beca. She found it humorous how a woman so tiny could discover all the nooks and crannies in which to lodge a body part. Despite one set of the bedroom curtains being open, nobody could see into their room thanks to the broad limbs of a flowering pink crepe myrtle tree. And there was enough silver moonlight to allow her to stay relaxed and watch Beca sleep.

Chloe tried to go back to sleep, but her mind wouldn't let go of the look on Beca's face last night after they had made love and come down from their highs. She had thought the brunette was going to say something important, soul-searching, and then she ended up saying how good Chloe made her feel. That had never been in question. The screams and moans made sure of that. She thought Beca was going to confess something. Something much deeper than the tingly sensations in her toes.

Despite still holding back herself, their relationship had come so far. Chloe was terrified. She knew how deeply she felt for Beca; what Chloe didn't know was if she was ready to face those emotions anywhere but in her mind. She hadn't talked to Stacie or even Jessica about how she felt towards Beca. The redhead was afraid if she confessed her feelings to anyone, something would go wrong. Chloe's life was going damned good these days, and she didn't want to jinx it by throwing mush onto the fire.

Chloe's mind was racing, and she knew sleep would be hard to come by unless she got some of her thoughts out of her head. She hadn't written in a long time, college probably, but decided to pick up a pen again and see if putting her feelings on paper would give her mind some rest so she could sleep. She carefully extracted herself from the cocoon without waking Beca and scrounged in the desk to find some paper and a pen. Luckily enough moonlight lit the room that she didn't have difficulty seeing.

She scratched a few circles to get the ink to flowing then wrote a single word… _fall_

_fall  
__the words you whisper feed my desire  
__as gusts of wind excite the leaves  
__of a september evening  
__as your touch leads me safe  
__to a place i can lose control  
__and be whisked away  
__by the rhythm of my quickened pulse  
__while you delve into my soul  
__and reach that time  
__when my sky is softly stroked  
__with the colors of your sunset  
__and our world is at peace  
__firm and warm against all threat  
__of the coming days of winter  
__knowing that with morning  
__comes the fresh light of spring  
__and that first touch of your breast  
__to mine  
__sends rays of sunshine  
__to my core where winter's fire  
__still burns from restful slumber  
__and your laughter mocks the birds  
__who gladden my heart  
__and make me grateful  
__to live  
__that i may fall in love with you._

* * *

When Beca woke up the next morning, she found a note on the other pillow; Chloe had gone down to the kitchen to get some coffee. She knew the redhead would be back soon, so Beca got up, washed her face and hands, and brushed her teeth. By the time Chloe walked into the room with two cups of coffee, Beca was dressed and ready for the day.

Chloe excitedly told her that breakfast was apple dumplings and crepes. "What about bacon?" Beca grinned at the redhead because they both knew that Beca didn't consider a meal breakfast without bacon.

"Yes silly, and bacon."

Beca sniffed the air for confirmation and was giddy as her mouth began to water as her nose detected the unmistakable smell of bacon.

The two clamored down the stairs about the time the innkeeper placed their food on the vintage china at their table places. The golden pouch of pastry was sure to hold tender baked cinnamon apples while the thin crepes were wrapped around blueberries with a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top.

"Ma'am this looks and smells delicious." Beca asked for a glass of milk since she seemed incapable of having breakfast without the drink. She then proceeded to polish off two apple dumplings, a stuffed crepe, and many slices of bacon.

The innkeeper returned to clear off the plates and chuckled. "You are right Chloe; I don't know where she puts it all."

Beca proudly patted her full tummy before pushing back from the table. She grasped Chloe's hand and headed back upstairs.

* * *

When Chloe asked what the plans were for the day, Beca told her that she had reserved the day for relaxing. The DJ had something she had to do in the late afternoon, but Chloe wasn't expected to help. "I thought maybe you could sit in the garden and knit, take advantage of the cool, crisp fall weather since we haven't been able to have the loft windows open much in the heat of the summer."

Chloe agreed that the plan sounded perfect. The weather was mild, and working outside seemed fabulous. Beca brought the knitting supplies from the car for her. While Chloe began to work on her orders from the Saturday before, Beca dove into a book from Nick's library that Chloe had been begging her to read. The shaded garden had comfortable furniture, and both women buried themselves in their tasks.

In the early afternoon, a quiet alarm went off on Beca's phone. She told Chloe she had a few errands to run and assured her she wanted Chloe to stay outside to knit. The relaxation that knitting brought to the redhead was uncanny, and this environment was ideal. She didn't question Beca as she pressed a kiss to the redhead's forehead and set off to run errands.

Before Chloe realized how long had passed, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. She gathered her things, slipped on her shoes, and went in search of her girlfriend. Chloe went first to their room to put her things away, but Beca wasn't there. As she went back down the stairs, Chloe heard clattering coming from the kitchen. When she saw Beca in the most adorable apron, she froze in the doorway. Her girlfriend stood alongside a tall man, also in an apron, who looked like he was trying not to be frustrated with the tiny DJ.

"Beca?"

Beca's head whipped up. Her face fell as she saw Chloe standing in the doorway. "Chlooooooooeeee," she whined. "You aren't supposed to be in here You're going to ruin the surprise."

The redhead sauntered over to give her girlfriend on the nose which was about the only place not covered in some goo or spice. "What's going on here?"

"Cooking lessons," the man said in a droll voice. He seemed entirely unimpressed with the idea of teaching Beca.

"I've been trying to learn how to cook." Beca was distracted and stuck the tip of her tongue out slightly as she was trying to concentrate on the task at hand. "I, well, we," she motioned to the chef next to her with the wooden spoon she was brandishing, "are cooking dinner for you." She looked at the mess in the kitchen. "I hope."

Chloe got the giggles that some chef was brave enough to take on teaching Beca Mitchell how to cook.

"I've been taking lessons for a few weeks. But Peter suggested he come and help me tonight to make sure everything is perfect."

Chloe thought Peter was going to sprain his eyeballs as hard as he rolled them back in his head. Regardless he kept working.

"What's on the menu?"

Beca was too busy dumping plum preserves into a bubbling pot on the stove to answer. "Pork chops in port wine sauce accompanied by asparagus and roasted root vegetables," said Peter.

"Well," Chloe said, "I'll ummm go into the sitting room. Bye, baby."

"Yeah, bye, Chloe." Beca never even looked up from her tasks.

* * *

With probably more Peter's help than Beca's, dinner was excellent. Regardless of who did the most work, Beca was incredibly proud of the meal. Chloe flooded praise over the brunette not having expected that Beca would have even thought of arranging this for her. And to have been taking cooking lessons for the past few weeks was impressive.

"And the best part? The chef instructor will clean everything up." Beca was smirking as she took another bite.

Chloe giggled. "No, the best part is you taking so much time to plan and organize this trip." She leaned over and kissed Beca on her cheek, bringing a blush to her face. "This was every bit of yummy as my meals."

Beca stood and grasped Chloe's hand, pulling her to her feet. "After-dinner drinks and dessert will be served in the room. Come on." She led Chloe up the stairs, stumbling a bit since the redhead had her arms wrapped around her waist as she tried to match steps leading up to their room. She unlocked the door, and they pushed in laughing as they fumbled over kisses and gropes.

Not much time had passed before a knock sounded on the door signifying the arrival of their after-dinner wine and dessert. "I'll get the door," Chloe smiled, flashing a minx smile over her shoulder. Beca got up to clear off a place on the table. As the innkeeper brought in the tray, Beca took a few steps away from the table with her back turned from Chloe.

"Beca?" Chloe tried to nudge her girlfriend out of the trance she'd gotten into in the short amount of time it had taken for Chloe to let the woman in with drinks and dessert. "Becs? What's wrong?"

When the brunette slowly turned around, she had a sheet of hotel stationery in her hands. Chloe blanched when she realized what Beca had found. Her musings from the night before from when she couldn't sleep. Beca examined the paper again, apparently rereading the words Chloe had penned.

She looked up at the redhead, eyes starting to brim with tears. Chloe felt a clutch in her chest, the feeling that matched her fear of the night before. She silently willed Beca to speak, to say something, anything.

"_…and make me grateful to live_," Beca's voice was shaky as she read from the paper, "_that I may fall in love with you_." She reached up to wipe the corner of her eye before looking back to Chloe. "Are you in love with me, Chloe?"

Chloe wasn't sure exactly how to respond to Beca's question. She knew the answer, was convinced of the answer more than anything she had ever been sure of in her life. She loved Beca Mitchell. Writing those words had been one thing, but saying them out loud was utterly different. And once the words were out, there was no taking them back. Maybe the more appropriate question was what was she waiting for?

She sat on the couch, patting the cushion next to her. Beca silently took a seat next to her. With one palm on Beca's cheek, Chloe looked at the brunette and tried to let her eyes express how she felt, the depth of the emotion she was feeling.

"Chloe…?" Beca sniffled her girlfriend's name.

The redhead smiled as warm a smile as she could. "Yes, Beca, I love you. I've been falling in love with you for months."

Beca wiped her nose as her distressed look changed into one of bliss. Her demeanor slipped into a much more relaxed mode as she gathered Chloe's hands in hers. "You know," she chuckled, "I had a mission – a goal – for this stay-cation." She motioned over to Chloe's poem on the side table. "And with that note, you beat me to it. Chloe, since you've come into my life, you've completely turned my life upside down. Or as Nick would say, you've slain the dragon."

Chloe was surprised, thinking Beca didn't know about the 'dragon's lair' comments Nick had been making. Beca chuckled. "He's been calling me the dragon lady as long as I've known him. Nick doesn't think anything or anyone could get through my thick scales. But you did, and you found a cozy little place to make yourself at home. I love you, Chloe Beale."

"And I love you, Beca Mitchell."

* * *

Romance filled the rest of the stay-cation. Beca hadn't planned a whole lot other than lounged around the inn and in their room. While there had never been tension between the pair when it came to their physical relationship, now that each had confessed their feelings, everything was that much more relaxed between them. Their intimate activities progressed at a more leisurely pace and not as frantic. It was almost as if they now knew nobody would be coming between them, and they'd have all the time in the world with each other.

When Chloe and Beca returned home to the lofts, Beca walked Chloe upstairs and kissed her goodbye. Leaving the redhead was a struggle after a near-perfect trip, but Beca respected Chloe's request to spend a bit of time alone to contemplate the sentiments they had shared.

Chloe tossed her bag by the door and collapsed on the couch. The time at the bed-and-breakfast had been amazingly relaxing, but she came home exhausted. Not physically tired, obviously, but mentally and emotionally. The push past the emotional barrier she had against sharing her feelings with Beca had been accidental and unexpected but was an honest relief. Having time to process all of the thoughts running around her mind and in her heart was now energizing.

She sat on her couch until light no longer filtered into the loft. Chloe pulled up her phone's calendar to check Jessica's schedule and learned her friend did not have a gig that night. So Chloe called Jessica first to share the events of her extended date. The massage, Beca's cooking lessons, the confessions of love, everything. She then called Stacie and repeated the conversation.

The redhead was sure her two friends were probably fed up with her fawning with her stories about her relationship with Beca. But at this point, Chloe didn't care. These were her only two friends in the world, and she wanted to share absolutely everything with them. And neither woman disappointed in sharing Chloe's excitement in the progression of her relationship with Beca.


	12. Gardens and Goats

As Stacie and Chloe worked more together, Stacie began to share more about the reason she's involved in the farmers' market. She and her husband leased a small plot of land in their community's garden to grow a variety of vegetables and fruits to supplement their family's healthy lifestyle. With the abundance of rain in the past few years, all the families had more produce than the community could consume. The garden formed a market cooperative, and Stacie worked the farmers' market in exchange for a small percentage of the sales.

After hearing Stacie explain, Chloe was interested in seeing how everything at the garden worked. She asked Stacie if she could come on Monday to help. "Get there early because otherwise, it's hella hot later in the day." She gave her friend directions to the community garden that was less than ten minutes from Stacie's house.

When Chloe got home from working the market that day, she stopped at the grocery store to get almond butter and granola. She had obtained apples from the market and wanted to bring snacks. Stacie said Bella would be with her and loved eating in the shade trees scattered around the gardens.

* * *

The next morning, Chloe headed to the community garden. She tried to dress appropriately but wasn't quite sure she hit the mark when she saw Stacie and her daughter. They both wore matching overalls and large floppy sun hats. Bella was the cutest child she had ever seen and dressed exactly like her mom to boot. The redhead knew she had to get a handle on her laughing before she got out of the car.

Chloe snapped a quick picture so she could remember their outfits. The next set of dolls she would make for the Conrad family would be dressed in overalls, maybe even with a piece of straw hanging from their mouths. She climbed out of her car and retrieved the picnic basket from her back seat.

When Bella saw her, the little girl came running. "Aunt Chloe! Look at me. I match Mommy." Sometime during the past few months, Bella had taken to calling the redhead Aunt Chloe. The redhead thought it was adorable and felt honored.

"I see that Bells. Was overalls a requirement, or is what I'm wearing okay?" Chloe was wearing loose denim shorts and a light t-shirt. Bella assured her what she had on was great and gave her a floppy hat that matched hers and her mom's.

"I understand we have a lot of work to do today."

"Yeah, pulling weeds and watering plants and picking the ready stuff. You are going to have so much fun." Bella was certainly exuberant but would probably peter out quickly. When Chloe asked if they had eaten breakfast yet, Stacie told her they had but usually stopped for a mid-day break. What her friend had brought would be perfect.

The trio set off on the morning's tasks. Bella pulled a handful of weeds before she got bored. Her mom kept correcting her, explaining she had to yank the _whole_ weed out, not only the tops. The little girl decided she wanted to switch to picking produce. Chloe carried the baskets for her and listened while Bella explained how to tell each was ready.

"If the tomatoes have even a tiny bit of green, we leave them for next week. Otherwise, we have too much, and it spoils." Despite the girl's young age, she was well-versed in the garden operations.

* * *

Once break time arrived, Chloe spread out a thin blanket while Stacie went to get some ice water. The redhead showed Bella they were going to have apple sandwiches with almond butter and granola. She explained that almond butter was like peanut butter but made with crushed almonds instead. Together they smeared almond butter on several apple slices then sprinkled on granola before smushing another fruit slice on top.

Bella took a huge bite. "This is like a peanut butter and jelly sammich," she exclaimed as she rubbed her tummy. "Only betters. Thank you, Aunt Chloe."

After they had all eaten their snacks, Bella immediately curled up and went to sleep. Stacie chuckled as she ran her hand across her daughter's hair. "I appreciate your help today, Chlo. With an extra set of adult hands, we got everything on the Monday-list accomplished. And before the heat of the day! Thanks."

Chloe wandered up and down the rows of produce, making a note of what was in season and what was in abundance. She told Stacie she'd find some great recipes to utilize the seasonal vegetables for her family.

Since Bella was sound asleep and safe where she was, Chloe and Stacie wandered around the other plots in the community garden. The tall, part-time farmer showed how other neighbors organized their crops. One could tell the produce preferences from family to family.

"This is the animal side of the garden if you call it that, as two neighbors raise chickens for their eggs here. This fence," she motioned to the chicken wire structure, "and building are movable that lets the chickens be free-range without obliterating any patch of ground."

Chloe helped Stacie transport the picked produce to the storeroom where she marked them after the redhead picked some vegetables out to cook for Stacie and Bella. The young girl was picky about her eating, and Chloe promised some okra, black-eyed pea, and sweet potato dishes that were sure to change the girl's mind. "Yes, even children can like okra."

* * *

As Beca and Chloe's relationship progressed, many things changed while others stayed the same. Chloe still maintained her own space in Nick's loft, but the couple found themselves spending more time together as Chloe was slowly more of her independence to Beca. And since Beca had taken the initiative to take cooking lessons, Chloe decided to give her tasks to do in the kitchen. Even though Beca wouldn't admit it, learning how to cook with Chloe was fun.

When Chloe asked Beca if she'd like to spend one of their date events helping her at Stacie's farm, the DJ was all for it. Little did she know that Chloe would be rolling her out of bed as the sunrise was barely peeking over the horizon.

"Chlooooooooooooooe. Nooooo. More sleep." Beca tugged her pillow over her head and kicked her feet in protest. The redhead explained this was her date activity – that Beca had no veto rights. Eventually, she was able to lure Beca out of bed with a cold bacon sandwich that she had made the night before for this sole purpose.

Beca had her feet up on the car's dashboard – a sandwich in one hand, a travel mug of coffee in the other. "I don't remember you getting to dress me to be a part of the deal Chlo. These overalls are corny as fuck." The redhead explained that Bella would get a kick out of them showing up in matching clothes.

* * *

When the day had gotten too hot to work any longer, Stacie, Beca, and Chloe sat beneath the shade tree chugging cold water to cool off their bodies. "This is an interesting operation you have here Stacie. How do you and your neighbors keep up with everything?"

Stacie explained that it was indeed a village effort, and everyone chipped in to help when others got behind. "The board has certain requirements such as keeping plots weed-free, harvesting produce in a timely fashion, and properly packing excess for the market. Everyone means well, but sometimes it's hard, and neighbors get behind."

Beca contemplated what Stacie said before speaking. "Has Chloe told you about our volunteer work at the youth center downtown?" The DJ went on to explain that many of the youth were disadvantaged while others had run afoul of the law. "Many have court-ordered volunteer service hours, and the center is running out of options of places to assist with allowing the students to meet their court obligations."

Stacie and Beca talked a while longer about possibly allowing some of the youth to work at the community garden in exchange for community service credit. Stacie said she'd run the idea past the board and several of her neighbors. "I don't see how anyone would protest. The pressure would certainly be relieved of some of my friends."

* * *

Once the community garden board had approved of allowing the disadvantaged youth helping in the gardens and neighbors who needed help signed up, Beca recruited a few more adult volunteers from the youth center to make the first few field trips to the gardens. More people than Chloe and herself needed to know how things worked and what the youth should do. The neighborhood organized priority task lists for the probationers with explicit instructions on tasks. Not only was the community service allowing the kids to comply with court orders, but it was also giving them exposure to healthy, sustainable living.

The community service program at the gardens was moving forward with great success. Settling into a routine didn't take long for the youth. The kids seemed to enjoy the tasks, especially since they got out of the city and worked in the fresh air. One afternoon, a teenage girl peeked in a barrel over by the produce shed. The vat was full of split and rotting produce. When she asked the community supervisor what it was, the answer was pig slop. "We do send our excess fruit and veggies was sold at the farmers' market, but even then, people don't want to buy ugly goods. We trash the uglies, and a pig farmer down the road comes to get the bins for his animals." The girl nodded and walked away.

On the bus ride back to the youth center, the girl sat next to Beca, who happened to be one of the center sponsors that day. The DJ knew that Emily, her mother, and little brother lived at a homeless shelter. Emily explained how the shelter kitchens never had enough access to fresh fruits and vegetables, especially for the little kids. She wanted to know if Beca would look into maybe getting some of the uglies donated to the downtown shelter rather than sold to the pig farmer.

Later that week, a new set of instructions appeared on all task lists at the community garden. _Pull and box uglies._ This step to be completed **before** packaging the product for the market; Beca had convinced the board to donate the uglies rather than waste time and effort carting them back and forth to the farmers' market.

When that day was over, the transport van headed back to town with cases of uglies in the back. Before the truck stopped by the youth center that afternoon to drop off the kids, Beca pulled to the service door of the shelter where Emily and her family stayed. She texted the teenage to bring her family to meet the van. When they opened the back door, Emily was shocked to see other youth from her center standing there with several crates of fresh uglies for the shelter pantry.

Beca grabbed a freshly picked apple from one of the boxes and kneeled to Emily's little brother's height. "Would you like an apple?"

He examined it before exclaiming how ugly it was. But it didn't stop the little boy from grinning as he took a massive bite of fruit.

The longer Chloe watched her girlfriend interact with the troubled youth at the center, the more Chloe longed to have children of her own. She caught herself thinking of Will, wondering how he was doing and if anyone was reading to him at night. When Chloe thought of the life left behind – particularly Will - she still felt guilty for not being completely honest with Beca. Yet, when she thought about telling Beca, Chloe's stomach would wretch – often leaving her ill for several days — but thinking about herself and Beca having kids of their own brought about a different reaction.

* * *

One Sunday, Beca took Chloe on another mystery date trip. "Relax Chlo; have I ever disappointed you?" Beca drove a short distance out of town. As she turned down a small paved road, a sign announced they had arrived at Barden Farms.

The DJ tossed a shiny brochure into Chloe's lap. _A Day at the Farm. _The redhead immediately snatched it up and began reading. By the time she parked the Jeep, Beca was wondering if she had bitten off more than she could chew. Trepidation and humiliation might fill her day because whatever Chloe wanted, Chloe typically got.

As they approached their first stop, the barn, Chloe began to squeal at sight of the baby animals which were in pens at the front of the building. There was quite a variety of species to include baby goats or kids, calves, and piglets. Noticing Beca's cautious nature, the farmer took them to the goat section first.

"These fellers are about the most entertaining of the bunch." His deep Alabama drawl was Southern through and through. "Maybe they will warm your woman up and loosen her up to the idea of being around farm animals." The farmer unlocked the pens, let the couple in and relocked the gate. The kids were excited to see the humans in their enclosure and started running, skipping almost, and jumping – practically bouncing off the various objects in their area. One little brown and white goat kept jumping up at Beca's side. When she wouldn't pet him, he raced off and leaped over a pair of calmer baby goats, using their backs as springboards to flip over and run around some more.

Chloe started with small giggles that quickly turned to full laughter at the antics of the goats. She tried capturing their clowning around on video, but her mirth kept her hands shaking. Taking pictures and video was awkward. The farmer explained that these were the older kids that were weaned from milk and waiting to be old enough to send to the pasture. There were some bottle-fed younger ones inside the barn. "It's about feeding time. Would you like to go inside and meet the babies and help with feeding?"

Chloe quickly handed Beca the GoPro and gave strict instructions to capture it all on video since she knew that Beca had no plans to get close to the animals. Little did Beca know that Chloe had bigger plans for her than baby goats, much bigger! "Why are they bottle-fed?" Chloe asked. "Don't they have mamas?" Of course, Chloe was concerned about the emotional well-being of the goats.

The farmer explained that most of the female goats on this farm were milk goats. The kids were separated at an early age so that the mother could go back into the production herd. "It may seem to be cruel, but it's not. We take outstanding care of the little ones." With this, he opened the inside stall where the younger babies were, and Chloe about had a conniption fit.

"Beca, Beca. Come here! You HAVE to see this. OMG. How cute!"

Beca came rambling in, head down as she fiddled with the GoPro. "What on earth is cuter than a baby goat?" Beca inserted just enough sarcasm in her voice to make herself feel better but not enough to offend Chloe.

"BABY GOATS IN PAJAMAS! Oh, Beca, look!" Sure enough, the younger babies were not merely as adorable as the older ones outside, jumping and flipping around. They were _more_ adorable because they each hand on tight-fitting outfits that resembled… well, pajamas.

The farmer chuckled as he explained. "These triplets are about three weeks old. They despise the rain as all goats do, plus they are susceptible to the cold. So until they are ready to be off the bottle and moved outside, they wear what you see. Plus it makes for good entertainment for the visiting children… and adults, too, apparently." He couldn't stop chuckling at the redhead's reactions.

Chloe settled on top of a hay bale and started feeding one of the kids with a large plastic bottle. "Beca, are you sure you don't want to help?" Beca just shook her head and kept videoing like the good girlfriend she was. She was attempting to stay as invisible as possible.

The grin plastered across Chloe's face did not fade even one iota as she helped feed the three triplets. Her arms were wrapped around one goat, holding it in her lap. "This is my favorite one, Becs."

"Why?" Beca asked in a droll voice, almost regretting bringing Chloe here (but not really).

"Because this one is wearing pajamas with BABY YELLOW DUCKIES. Most. Adorable. PJs. Ever."

* * *

Once the triplets were satiated and back in their pen, the farmer guided the women to another enclosure. "Here is another one of our newest additions." Chloe and Beca peeked over the stall gate to see a black and white calf laying on the hay covered floor and its mother munching calmly from a feeder bucket. "This is one of our older moms, and she's pretty friendly. Let's go in."

"C-c-can I ummm stay out here? I don't like cows that much, and… well I don't even drink milk." Chloe knew this was a fib because her girlfriend had a glass of milk with every breakfast. Beca's eyes got wide as she tried to hide the fact that her heart was racing being around the large mama animal.

Chloe pulled her into the stall and latched the gate behind them. "No. You didn't play with the goats, so the cows are yours. I promised Stacie and Bella pictures of you, too!" She took the GoPro from Beca before going to the calf and scratching him between the shoulder blades until he stood up. He wobbled slightly then ambled over to Beca. "See, he likes you."

Beca reached down to scratch his forehead and relaxed as the baby cow leaned into the scratching motion. Suddenly he lifted his nose, found Beca's fingers with his mouth, and began sucking. It took every ounce of willpower Beca had not to scream. "Ummmm help you guys? He's going to swallow my hand."

The tiny DJ tried to remove her fingers gently, and the calf began to suck harder. She looked over at Chloe who was too busy videoing and taking pictures of Beca's terror to assist. After a few moments, the calf spat out Beca's fingers and moseyed over to his mom's udders, head-butted them a few times then latched on to drink his breakfast.

Beca held her hand out, away from her body and used her other hand to fumble with the gate latch. As she let herself and her girlfriend out, she turned to Chloe and raised her slimy fingers menacingly. "That. Was. Not. Funny."

Chloe gave Beca a quick peck on the nose. She looked at her phone a few moments and let her fingers fly over the keys. "And now, the club staff and Stacie have a few pictures of their fearless DJ."

"You didn't!" Beca tried to act like she was furious, but they both knew she could never stay mad at Chloe. So Beca did the next best thing and wiped the calf slobber off her hands onto Chloe's jeans as Chloe squealed in disgust.

* * *

Beca begrudgingly spent some additional time around some more of the animals as she knew that Chloe would bat her eyebrows and convince her to do whatever she wanted anyhow. They both learned how to hand-milk cows as well as goats. Beca agreed that while the cow was much larger, she was considerably easier to milk than the goat!

Neither woman had an interest in riding horses, but they did take some time to help with brushing and combing out their manes. Chloe snapped lots of pictures since she knew that she would probably never get Beca to do such things again and she wanted to preserve all their "farm chores" on film.

Eventually came what was undoubtedly the most straightforward task of the "Day at the Farm," and that was picking berries. The community garden often had a shortage of berries since most families kept what they harvested. There were fields of perfectly ripe strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Chloe and Beca each grabbed a few buckets and went into the rows. Once they had their buckets filled to the brim, they trudged back to the main office to have their berries weighed and bagged so that they could pay and head back to the loft.

Beca hopped over to the same row in which Chloe was walking and slung an arm over her shoulder. "Okay Chlo, I admit. I had an amazing time today. I know I planned the trip and all, but I had more fun than I originally thought. All but the calf sucking on my fingers part." Beca kissed the side of Chloe's forehead. "What do you think, Chloe?"

Chloe gave a muffled response and looked away from Beca. "What? I can't understand you." Beca could feel Chloe's shoulders start to shake. She stopped and turned Beca to face her. Chloe's lips were completely blue, and her cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk. "Chloe Beale. Have you been eating blueberries?"

Chloe shook her head as Beca started to tickle her. Soon blueberries began to tumble out of Chloe's overstuffed mouth. "Chloe! We agreed not to eat any until we got back! Shame on you."

"Culadnt hep tat."

"You couldn't help it? Whatever. You PIG!" Beca was laughing as she watched Chloe try to choke down the remaining berries that hadn't spilled from her mouth. "Your face is so stained. Busted."

* * *

**A/N: The poem from the last chapter is one I wrote over fifteen years ago. It made its debut in a fic on one of my other fandoms. The baby goat scene here was also in that same fic. Some scenes are just too awesome to be used once.**

* * *

**A/N II: One trivia note I wanted to make earlier but forgot. Who knows where the original name Amber came from for Chloe? Drop your guesses in the reviews! Thanks to Another Bechloe Shipper for the name Amber.**

* * *

**And one more note: There are four more chapters in this fic.**


	13. Will You ?

Beca kept an eye on the clock, watching and waiting for the time to pick up Chloe for their dinner date, her nerves tingling at the mere thought of what she was about to do. The evening very well could be the most important of her life. They had been dating for a year now. Beca had thought long and hard about what she was about to do. No matter what direction she imagined her and Chloe's relationship heading, the result always ended with happily ever after.

The redhead had gotten used to Beca picking her up at the door for their dates. Regardless of who asked who out or who planned the date, Beca typically showed up at Chloe's door with fresh flowers and a cheesy grin to accompany the bouquet. The younger woman checked her pocket for the other player of the main event, grabbed the flowers, and headed upstairs to get Chloe. Her girlfriend greeted her warmly with a soft kiss as she took the flowers and placed them in the vase she had readied.

"You sure you don't mind driving Chlo? I have the hard-top on the Jeep, but it's not exactly a smooth ride."

"I never mind driving, babe."

Beca held out her elbow for Chloe. "Let's go then."

The restaurant wasn't too far away, and Chloe figured out before arriving where they were going. "Gianmarco's Restaurant! Are you for real? Stacie has been telling me all about this place for months." The redhead parked and waited for Beca to open her door. Even when she drove, the brunette insisted on being as courteous as possible.

Unlike when Beca had planned the staycation, Chloe knew the significance of this particular day. Tonight marked the year anniversary of when they officially began dating. Considering all Beca had done for their almost eight-month anniversary, she was sure Beca had planned this special night to the hilt.

As they reached the restaurant's maître de, Beca told her they had a reservation for Mitchell at seven. "Oh," the woman said as Beca's eyes widened as she motioned for the woman to hush. "Ohhhh. Follow me this way, Ms. Mitchell."

Chloe began to look over the food choices while Beca gave hers a cursory glance. When Chloe saw Beca wasn't looking at the menu, she asked, "do you know what you want, babe?"

"I thought we could share an antipasto and pasta? Then we can each order an entrée." Beca's smile was soft as she thought about how the evening would end.

* * *

After an antipasto of calamari followed by a seafood linguini fradia volo pasta dish, the women were waiting on their entrées. The server seemed overly attentive as he poured them each another glass of wine. Beca nervously swirled her wine around in her glass, knowing she had thought about the moment to come over and over.

She reached over to grasp the redhead's hand. "Chloe, we've been dating a while. I can't believe it's been a year! You know you mean the world to me. I know we didn't get along at first, but you quickly won me over."

"It was the banana bread, wasn't it?" Chloe ducked her chin and smiled shyly.

"Yeah, definitely the banana bread," Beca chuckled. "But through this time, you… have made me a better person. I love you so much, your eyes, your hair, your personality, everything. Chloe, in recent weeks, I have gone over and over different paths my life could take. What I've found is that each path leads me to you. I adore you, Chloe Beale."

Beca pulled the ring box out of her pocket and scooted her chair back to kneel in front of Chloe.

"Will you marry me?" She looked down to open the box then back up at the redhead.

Chloe's face blanched white, looking like she saw a ghost. She was alternating gaping at Beca and the ring the brunette held. Beca was still on her knee, patiently waiting for her answer, nervous but patient. The longer she waited, the more nervous she got. Had she misread the redhead's feelings towards her? Was Beca not going to get her forever?

Suddenly Chloe stood, bumping the table with her legs, knocking over her wine glass. Her face was panic-stricken. With one last look at the ring her girlfriend held, she opened her mouth. "Beca… I… I can't marry you." She then turned and rushed from the restaurant.

* * *

Beca was left on bended knee, stunned that Chloe had left without giving an excuse. She climbed to her feet, snapped the ring box closed, and shoved it back into her pocket. Beca called the server over and asked for the entrées to be boxed to-go. She drained the rest of the wine and settled the check.

Of course, Chloe had taken off in her car when she fled the restaurant, stranding her girlfriend. Beca ordered an Uber and made her way to the loft. She was surprised to see Chloe's car missing from her usual parking slot but relieved at the same time since that would keep Beca from confronting her girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend? What happens when someone runs out on a proposal with no rhyme or reason?

The brunette held her emotions together until she stepped into her loft. Anger had been winning over sadness until she walked into the door. At that moment she walked inside, she lost all composure. She usually did not cry, but tonight all bets were off as tears flowed down her face.

How had she misread Chloe's intentions in their relationship? Moreover how could have Beca misjudged her personal feelings and allowed Chloe inside her proverbial dragon scales? Regardless a red stake had been driven through her heart, turning it back to stone.

* * *

"She asked me to marry her Stacie." Chloe was blubbering into the phone as she talked to her friend.

"Oh my god Chloe, that's incredible. I am extremely happy for you." Stacie was over the moon for the redhead as she knew how much Chloe was in love with Beca.

"No, no, no, no. You don't understand. I can't marry her. I ran off and left her kneeling in the restaurant. I, ummm, can I come over? I need to talk."

When Chloe arrived, the drive had allowed her to regain some of her composure until her friend opened the door. Then she lost it again as Stacie gathered her in her arms and began to comfort her. They made their way into the living room where Stacie had two glasses of wine waiting. "I thought you might need this."

The redhead drained the glass set in front of her but refused any more. "May I have water, please? I've had enough wine tonight."

Once Chloe had calmed down, she began to talk. And once she started talking, she didn't stop. She told Stacie about her miserable past life on Long Island with was compounded by the wrong choices she had made before coming to Birmingham.

Chloe spoke about her marriage to Tom, the situation with his stepsons, how she wasn't allowed to work outside the household, and how she was treated overall by the males in the house. She shared about her verbally abusive mother-in-law with her high expectations.

"My life was so miserable, Stacie. You have no idea. I had made so many wrong choices in my life. Then… I decided to make a right choice. A choice for me. I decided to leave. To just disappear. I put a lot of thought and preparation into my decision to go. I knitted my dolls in secret and was able to get a day a week out of the house to work the farmers' market in Jessica's booth. I saved cash for the better part of a year. Jessica helped me with a different car. And here I am."

Stacie was in shock at all her friend had experienced. "I never knew any of this Chloe."

"Attorney-client privilege, you know." Chloe gave a weak smile.

"You mean Donald helped you?"

"Yes, Chloe Beale is my official name now. He helped me officially change names and make everything legal. The only thing is… I can't marry Beca."

"But you aren't that person anymore, Chloe." Stacie didn't see the entire picture.

"I only changed my name, Stacie. I can't marry Beca because I'm still married to Tom. I never got divorced. She doesn't know anything about my past. I never told her. I honestly thought my former life was behind me. I never dreamed I would find someone as wonderful as Beca or that she'd ask me to marry her."

"God Stacie, I just left her kneeling on one knee in the restaurant. She took me to Gianmarco's and proposed before our entrée course. Who leaves the love of her life like that? I'm such a horrible person."

Chloe talked quite some time with Stacie, long enough until she was utterly drained, both emotionally and physically. "Why don't you stay here tonight, Chloe? We have a spare bedroom."

* * *

The next morning, Bella was tickled to see Chloe walk into the kitchen at breakfast. "Aunt Chloe, Aunt Chloe, mama's making pancakes. I'm having chocolate chip. What about you?"

"Chocolate chip sounds great munchkin." She gave Bella's nose a small boop before finding a coffee cup. "Need a warm-up, Stacie?"

Donald was sitting at the table reading the paper. "Morning, Chloe. I heard you had a rough night."

Chloe nodded. "You could say that. I can only hope Beca will give me a chance to explain. I know I've probably lost her, but I want her to at least know why. She deserves better than what I've done." Chloe took a sip of her coffee.

"Donald, I need a divorce attorney. Now that this is all in the open, I need to face the music and end my marriage with Tom. Even if Beca never speaks to me again." She and Donald talked strategy a bit before Stacie set their pancakes in front of them, and all 'work talk' stopped by order of Bella Conrad.

* * *

Beca heard an insistent pounding on her door. Her head was throbbing as she tried to stand and stumble to make the intruder outside to go away. "Beca, I know you are in there. I see your bike outside. I'm not leaving until you hear me out."

"Fuck," Beca exclaimed as she heard Chloe's voice outside and stumbled to her feet. She tripped over an empty whiskey bottle and a half dozen empty beer bottles scattered around the couch. The brunette wasn't sure if she was ready to face the woman who had broken her heart less than twenty-four hours ago.

"Becs, come on. We need to talk. I want to explain." Chloe's voice was sounding more desperate. "I'm not leaving until you let me in."

The brunette finally made it to the door and unlocked it. Chloe rushed past her before Beca closed her out again. "Make yourself at home. You always do." Beca's voice was sharp and sarcastic as she staggered to the kitchen for some aspirin and water. Chloe did not rise to the bait of the bitter words.

Instead, she went to the refrigerator and pulled out things to make Beca something to eat. "Breakfast seems the best choice even though it's well after noon," Chloe muttered. She started frying bacon and started scrambling eggs to cook in the grease. She made some toast and cut some fresh fruit for good measure.

That Beca was willing to at least quietly sit in her presence while she made something to eat was a good sign. Chloe kept her mouth shut, giving herself more time to think. The redhead sat the tray on the coffee table in front of Beca, complete with fresh coffee and milk. "I can leave you to eat if you want."

The brunette shoved some food in her mouth. "You said you we needed to talk. You are here now… so talk." Beca showed none of her loving personality she used to shower on Chloe or the affection she used to share. She was sullen and broody. "Then you can leave."

* * *

Beca did not speak the entire time Chloe shared her story, nor did she look at the woman. The redhead almost felt at ease that way, as she tried to separate her own emotions from the situation at hand. She explained her entire life with Tom and his family, her past life, how she was able to land in Birmingham, and her subsequent name change.

"Beca, I never meant to hide these things from you. When I was able to make a new life for myself, I felt so free, so right. I didn't look back. I never dreamed I would meet someone who I would care for as much as I care for you. Or who would love me as you do."

Beca scoffed but still refused to speak. Chloe gathered the food dishes and cleaned the kitchen. "I'm meeting with a divorce lawyer this week to start the paperwork to file for divorce. This probably means that Tom will know who I am now and where I live. But it's worth it. You are worth it. Where we end up after that will be up to you."

"I know that I've betrayed your trust, and our relationship may never recover from this. But thank you for letting me at least tell you my story." Chloe got up and walked to the door. Before she left, she turned back to the brunette. "And yes, Beca, I do love you. More than life itself. I just can't marry you. Yet."

* * *

When Chloe got upstairs, she took a long, hot shower. The steam relaxed the knots in her shoulders and cleansed her facial pores that were filled with salt from crying. Despite being late in the afternoon, she pulled on a pair of soft pajamas because they were the most comfortable thing she owned.

She made herself cozy on the couch and called Jessica. When she told Jessica that Beca had asked for her hand in marriage, her friend gasped as she realized the implications of Chloe still being married to Tom. "Can you come for a visit, Jessica? I need to see my best friend." Chloe knew Jessica was probably busy but remained hopeful she could wrangle a quick trip.

As luck would have it, Jessica and Jeff had a break in their touring schedule. She said she could be there on Thursday for an extended weekend. Chloe insisted on paying for the airline ticket since most of Jessica's money had gone towards her true love, her album, and Chloe needed help with her true love, Beca.

Knowing her bestie was coming helped Chloe stay calm as she coped with the flood of emotions coursing through her. She would let Donald set her up with a divorce lawyer to help her deal with that mess. Once she had taken care of her horrible New York marriage, she could then focus on making things right with Beca.


	14. Jessica's Visit

**A/N: Trigger Warning - Depictions of extreme domestic violence**

* * *

When Chloe saw Jessica walking out of the secured area of the airport, she ran forward and flung herself at her friend. "Jess! My goodness. You have no idea how happy I am to see you." The redhead squeezed the blonde tightly. "A year was a year too long, and FaceTime does not substitute for a real hug."

"Nice to see you haven't changed, Chloe. It's great to see you, too. And I've missed your hugs." She grabbed the redhead's hand as they walked to the baggage claim to pick up her luggage. "Thanks for the plane ticket."

"It's the least I could do. As far as sleeping arrangements, I have a futon up in the loft. But if that's too uncomfortable, I'm sure Stacie will let you stay in the spare bedroom at her house, or we can get you a hotel room."

"No," Jessica gasped. "The futon is fine. I don't want to miss even a moment with you. I've missed you so much. I want you to show me all around your new city here! I think I'm most excited for the is the farmers' market and meeting Stacie, of course. Gotta see this woman who is taking my place in your life." She winked as she hoped the redhead would realize she was kidding about Stacie.

Chloe teasingly pushed her friend. "Nobody could ever replace you, Jess. Now grab your bag and let's go."

As they drove to the loft, Chloe told Jess that she had an appointment with her divorce attorney the following day. "You are welcome to go with me. You know the situation better than anyone, other than myself anyway."

"Tomorrow's Friday. Do you have all your dollies done for the market, missy?" Jessica loved teasing her friend.

"Yes, mommy. I seemed to have had a lot of spare time on my hands this week." Chloe's chipper voice saddened as she recalled the reason she was finished with her custom dolls early. She'd spent no time with Beca, not even cooking her a meal which was the first week she'd missed since the first fateful zucchini lasagna so many months ago.

Jessica agreed to visit the lawyer with Chloe since the sole reason for her visit was to support her friend through some of the mess, and the first lawyer's visit was bound to be stressful. After a quick tour of the loft, Jess freshened up from her travels, and the friends went off in search of food. The blonde had announced she wanted some iconic Alabama barbecue, so Chloe knew precisely where to take her.

* * *

The next morning, Chloe was a bundle of nerves before her appointment. She was awake the moment the first strands of dawn broke through the windows. Luckily Jessica's internal body clock woke her up around the same time. For the first time since the failed proposal, Chloe cooked a meal. She had plenty of vegetables directly from the community gardens and fresh farm eggs; so omelets seemed like a choice breakfast. Cooking again brought Chloe some comfort yet saddened her at the same time.

The appointment at the attorney's office was early in the day. Despite having tried to calm her nerves some with making breakfast, Chloe was still as nervous as a herd of long-tailed cats in a room full of rocking chairs. Chloe recounted her entire story once more to the divorce lawyer, the third time this week that she had shared her sorted tale. While the retelling never got simpler, she was getting more comfortable with the details and not crumbling when she went through the story.

"He would always come home late smelling of perfume. I have no actual _proof_ of his affairs except a few receipts I found in his pants pocket one morning right before I left, and I suppose I did abandon him and the boys. It's just my life was so miserable that I couldn't take it any longer. So I made a plan and left." Chloe clung to Jessica like a life raft. The lawyer was kind as he explained things in layman's terms to both women.

After a lengthy discussion, the attorney recommended filing the divorce paperwork in Alabama. While it would expose Chloe's location, most judges in the southern state were more likely to rule in favor of a woman with an unfaithful spouse than in New York. "We need to make sure you want this, Ms. Beale? Once you start proceedings, your husband will know exactly where to find you and all the details of your new life. The process could become a long and drawn-out ordeal."

"I'm positive. I have to do this; there's no choice. It's time to end this ordeal once and for all. So, where do we go from here?"

"Okay, then. I'll prepare the paperwork. It will be ready for you to sign early next week. Then we file, have a process server serve your husband with the divorce papers, and wait. He'll probably get an attorney of his own. Hopefully, things go our way. Then we can take things as they progress."

* * *

After the failed proposal, Beca blundered around her life aimlessly. She felt empty and hollow as she tried to sort out her feelings for the redhead. Beca was having trouble sleeping and wasn't sure how to spend her unexpected free time. For the past year, Chloe had been an essential part of her life. What she had trouble with most was making sense of the story Chloe had told her.

Beca tried to resist the urge to peek out her curtains whenever she heard Chloe's car pull up or footsteps leading up to or down from Chloe's loft, but she wasn't always successful. A few days after their date, Beca did glance out to see a taller blonde woman headed up to Chloe's loft with a suitcase. A pang of jealousy struck as she'd never seen this woman before. The only friend she knew Chloe to have was Stacie, and that woman certainly wasn't Stacie.

Laughter also filtered down from the upstairs unit. Obviously, Chloe wasn't hurting about the loss of their relationship as much as herself. More doubt was taking over Beca's mind – how much of Chloe's story was true? Was she honestly married to some guy in New York? Hell, had she ever even loved Beca?

As confident as Beca had been in her relationship with Chloe, she was now equally as unsure of what they had shared and moreover of the direction Beca's life would take. Never before had the DJ defined her life by someone else; yet now, she felt utterly lost without the redhead by her side.

* * *

Jessica's visit went well. Not only was she able to reconnect with her best friend, but she was able to help distract Chloe enough to pull her through a difficult time. She loved the Birmingham farmers' market and how different the assortment of goods was then at their market on Long Island. Chloe's best friend was also duly impressed with how Chloe's doll business had improved in leaps and bounds. "You sure you don't want to start online sales, Chlo?"

"I've thought about it, but the same things constrain my decisions that always have. Or the same person – Tom. Maybe I'll consider that once my divorce is final, and I sort things out with Beca. _If_ I sort things out with her."

"You will." Stacie and Jessica both spoke simultaneously.

Stacie put a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Beca adores you, Chloe. Anyone can see that."

"Have faith," Jessica said. "You've overcome more difficult situations than this and come out a better person because of it. Case in point," she motioned around them, "this. You left the worse of bad situations and landed here. On your feet. And have made you quite a better life."

Stacie knew that the next day was going to be challenging for Chloe since Sundays had been hers and Beca's standing date day, and this would be Chloe's first Sunday without Beca. Rather than bringing that fact up, she instead invited Jessica out to see the neighborhood community gardens. "Maybe we can convince our redhead here to cook a fabulous dinner."

"I'll cook on one condition. Both of you have to help!" Chloe chuckled. Having both her best friends with her was more helpful to her mood than she could have ever imagined. Her pals could never replace Beca, but that situation was nobody's fault but her own.

* * *

The next day, Bella insisted on giving Jessica the grand tour of the garden as they picked the vegetables that Chloe listed that she needed. Stacie had also called a neighbor about buying some eggs from her chickens and sent Bella by to pick those up as well. She figured if Bella dragged Jessica on some garden errands, she'd decide to play in her room while the adults cooked.

While they waited for Jessica and Bella to return, Stacie and Chloe hung out in the kitchen. "I like her, Chloe."

"Yeah, she's good people. She thinks you stole me from her." Chloe chuckled.

"I kinda did." Stacie joined with Chloe's laughs.

True to the plan, when Bella returned with her basket of ingredients, she announced she was headed up to her room to play with her dolls. As expected, she also invited Jessica to join her. "I'm going to stay down here with your mommy, Bella. Maybe we can play dolls later?" Bella agreed and trotted off.

Chloe put her friends to work washing and slicing vegetables while she preheated the oven and beat a lot of eggs in a large bowl. Once Jessica and Stacie were done with the veggies, Chloe had Stacie heat up a large cast-iron skillet and began to sautee onions and peppers in butter. As the peppers softened and the onions became translucent, Stacie added mushrooms then Jessica tossed several handfuls of spinach into the mix to wilt.

The beaten eggs were poured on top of the vegetables and the entire mixture topped with feta cheese. Chloe then popped the whole skillet into the oven. About twenty minutes later, the delicious veggie frittata was ready for dinner. Donald had decided to have a boys' night out with his buddies, so only the three women and Bella were around the table, eating what the adults had prepared.

* * *

Jessica's visit was over far too soon, but she promised that she and Jeff were already planning a tour through the southern states, Birmingham included. "I can't tell you what it has meant to me to have you here for these few days, Jess. I know I royally screwed up things with Beca. But I'm hoping these steps are the first towards repairing our relationship."

"If she loves you as much as you say she does, I have no doubts that you can get past this, too." Jessica gave Chloe a long hug. "I've missed you, Chloe. Long Island isn't the same without you."

* * *

A few weeks after Chloe's lawyer filed the divorce paperwork, his secretary called the redhead and asked her to come to the office. She didn't know to be scared or excited. Regardless her nerves were on end about the meeting.

When she settled into the chair across his desk, he pulled out her folder. "We have a problem, Ms. Beale. Your husband is contesting the divorce as I thought he might."

Chloe's heart sank into her chest. "On what grounds."

"Abandonment. Tom claims you left your happy family without warning and never looked back."

"He's not wrong." Chloe began to wring her hands on her lap. "Except I wasn't a part of anyone's happy family, especially not Tom's."

"Moreover, his lawyer ran your financials using your social security number. Tom is laying claim to half your current bank account plus extra for emotional anguish."

The redhead tried fighting her tears. "You mean he could take my money, the money I earned? Is there a way to shelter it?"

"Not legally. The good news is that your taxes are up to date, and you only started filing after you left New York. So, there's that, proof that you earned that money since leaving him. However, you earned money while you were still married to Tom. Divorce law is iffy on that."

Chloe's frustration was at a peak level. To think she might have to give up any of her hard-earned money was painful. Then again, giving up Beca was even worse. She and her lawyer strategized some, focusing on the small proof she had in the form of receipts of his indiscretions.

Since Tom's attorney had dug into Chloe's financial records, she had no qualms about allowing her lawyer to subpoena his. Perhaps past credit card records and bank statements would provide more proof of Tom's indiscretions while Chloe still lived on Long Island. Because of this, Chloe left the lawyer's office feeling a bit better than she had when she'd first arrived and found out Tom was contesting the divorce.

* * *

As time continued, neither Beca nor Chloe contacted each other. Chloe didn't try to talk to Beca out of respect for the situation; Beca was avoiding Chloe because of the confusion muddling her brain. The brunette seemed to be surviving off of whiskey and beer as a dark depression slid over her. She took some time off from DJing at the club because her mixing was suffering due to her lack of ability to concentrate. While Beca did not want to shirk her responsibilities at the youth center, she did not volunteer to go to the community garden. She did not want to chance running into Stacie.

Eventually, she had to take a break from the center as well. Being around people was unbearable since Beca felt as though she was drowning while everyone around her was breathing and oblivious to her struggles. As much as she wanted to rise and stand up to fight her demons, her pain kept her in a fetal pose on her couch for most of her days and nights.

She wasn't just sad or upset or crying. Beca was constantly numb. Numb to emotions and numb to life. The only reason she woke up in the morning was to go to bed again. Beca knew she had to pull herself from the hell hole she had slid into but didn't know how to do so. Her depression was overwhelming her, and somehow, she knew that her only escape would be Chloe.

* * *

Chloe busied herself by stocking up on her standard dolls. She had thought a great deal about Jessica's urgings for her to start taking orders online. She thought if she were to get ahead on her regular dolls, she would have time to customize online orders. Maybe her online goal orders could be to fulfill and ship those in two weeks.

She researched methods of packing and shipping costs per each doll size. Chloe experimented with flexible packaging and as well as boxes. After visiting the post office, she was able to determine how to price dolls for shipping. Soon she felt she had a solid structure for mailing her orders.

The redhead had been relatively successful in distracting herself from both her divorce proceedings and from thoughts of Beca. Sort of. Every time she passed Beca's door or heard her motorcycle outside, agonizing pain shot through her. Chloe knew she had to settle the situation with her marriage before she could even consider talking to Beca again. The decision to not contact Beca was challenging but made a bit easier since Beca was not exactly contacting her either.

Chloe wasn't going to start online sales until her divorce was final. She was adamant that Tom would not get more money from her than he was already claiming. But that didn't mean she couldn't get supplies ready in preparation to start selling once the divorce debacle was over.

* * *

Chloe decided to go shopping for packing and shipping materials, all to prepare for opening her online business. She had custom return labels created for the envelopes and also ordered some packing slips and receipts which could be used to print for her shipped orders. Once this divorce mess was over, she'd be ready to hit the ground running.

As the redhead returned from the office supply store with the materials, she knew she would have to make several trips to get everything upstairs to her loft. When she fumbled more than usual with the lock on the outside door, she realized she should have taken less on her first trip to keep a hand free. Next thing she knew, a muscled body slammed her against the door, causing her bags to go flying.

As the person forcefully swung her around, she was horrified as she found herself face to face with the man she'd been hiding from for the last fourteen months. _Tom._ He wrapped one hand around her throat and lifted her off the ground as he squeezed.

"Now I've got you, **_bitch_**_._" Tom was livid as he backhanded her across the face. Chloe heard the crack of her nose breaking and felt the sharp pain and blood as it began to pour down her face. She tried to scream for help, but the noise was cut off by Tom's hand around her throat.

"You thought you could leave me,_ **Amber**_? Then divorce me,_ **Amber**_?" He emphasized each phrase by squeezing Chloe's throat more tightly." And hide your money from me,_ **Amber**_? Yeah, I know how much you have stashed in your bank account, _Chloe Beale_. Me and my lawyer are going to take every red cent you have no matter what name you go by."

As he squeezed harder, Tom seemed to get pleasure from watching Chloe struggle. He lifted her off the ground even further to put more pressure on her throat as Chloe frantically kicked her legs. She clawed at his hand despite knowing he was too strong for her to pull his fingers from her neck.

Tears were running down her face mixing with the blood from her nose as she felt herself getting weaker from lack of oxygen. She began to see starbursts, and then her vision began to narrow into pinpricks. She thought she heard the roar of a motorcycle before the volume got turned way down. Then all hope faded away as blackness overcame Chloe.


	15. Pick On Somebody Your Own Size

The smell of burned rubber filled the air as Beca locked the tires of her motorcycle, coming to a halt next to the building. Her bike dropped to the ground as she didn't even put down the kickstand. The tiny DJ grabbed a long, heavy pipe from next to the building and swung it back like a bat. "Hey asshole, pick on someone more your size!"

When Tom turned and saw Beca, he laughed as he dropped a limp Chloe to the ground. "Like you? Bring it on bitch." The tiny brunette swung the pipe with all her might and connected square with the side of his temple, knocking him out with the single blow.

"Chloe," Beca cried out as she raced to the fallen redhead. She touched the woman who was crumpled on her side but was afraid to move her. "Help! Someone call 9-1-1. HELP!"

Beca kept one hand on the redhead and fished her phone out of her pocket. She pulled off her helmet as she dialed the emergency number. After she gave her address to dispatch who assured her that medical help and the police were on the way, she realized that she smelled gasoline.

A glance around the area reminded her she had dropped her bike as she rushed to save Chloe. She looked at the redhead, torn at leaving her side. When she realized the gas was leaking at a rapid rate and flowing towards them, she ran over and quickly set her bike up, securing the kickstand in place. Beca was back at Chloe's side in an instant.

"Chloe, can you hear me? It's Beca. I'm right here, babe. I'm not leaving you alone, sweetie. I know you can hear me." The DJ was running her hands over Chloe's arms, being careful not to move her.

When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics immediately began to work on the redhead. "What the hell happened to her?" Beca motioned to Tom who lay unconscious out where he had fallen. "Fuck," the EMT exclaimed. One medic ran over checked the man's pulse. "He's still with us." She called for another ambulance as she started to bandage his head to staunch the bleeding.

"He's too much of a bastard to die," Beca muttered.

The second ambulance arrived and took over the care of Tom about the time Chloe was packaged and ready to transport to the hospital. She hadn't regained consciousness and had been intubated to support her airway.

Beca tried to climb into the back of the ambulance, but a police officer grabbed her arm to stop her. "I'm sorry ma'am. I'm afraid I can't let you go until I get a statement about what happened here."

She wrenched her arm from his grasp. "Seriously dude? That's my girlfriend, and she was just choked out by her husband. Can't we do this at the hospital?"

* * *

As Beca nervously waited in the waiting room, she messaged Stacie. She didn't trust her voice enough to call. When the doctor came out to give her an update, he told her that while Chloe's hyoid bone wasn't fractured, the surrounding tissue was severely damaged. Chloe was still unconscious, but Beca could wait in her room if she felt she could stay calm.

The brunette could barely keep her tears in check when she saw Chloe laying in the darkened hospital room. She looked so weak and vulnerable. Beca pulled a chair next to the bed and gently held Chloe's hand. "Chloe. I'm still here, baby." She gave Chloe's hand a soft squeeze and put her head down on the bed next to the redhead's side.

"I'm sorry about all this Chlo. If I had been more understanding, you wouldn't have been alone today." Beca's voice was shaking. "I… I guess I had a hard time believing your story. I mean. I thought you didn't want to marry me and didn't want to tell me. Fuck, Chloe."

"I am sorry. I love you so much. When I saw that bastard holding you in the air, my vision turned red; I was in a rage. If only I had gotten there sooner, you wouldn't be in this bed right now. I hope you can hear me, Chloe. But I don't mind telling you again when you wake up. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please wake up."

Beca wiped her tears and runny nose on the hospital bed sheet. "Sorry; that was gross." She reached for a box of tissues and blew her nose. When she stood to toss the Kleenex in the garbage, Chloe began to stir. Beca pushed the nurse call button like ten times. When two nurses came running in, she said, "I think she's waking up. What do I do?" Beca was antsy as her hands were shaking

"Stay calm, and don't get upset. Keep talking to her." The nurse was precise with her directions to Beca. "She needs to hear your voice."

"Chloe? Can you hear me, baby? I need you to open your eyes. You're safe now. Tom's gone somewhere he can't hurt you. I promise you are safe. I love you, baby. Come back to me."

The redhead slowly opened her eyes and looked around, a confused glaze plastered on her face. She opened her mouth and attempted to speak yet nothing except a croak came out.

"No, no, no, Ms. Beale." One of the nurses came to the other side of the bed. "No talking. Just nod or shake your head. Do you know where you are?" Chloe shook her head. "You are in the hospital. You are injured pretty badly, but we're taking care of you. Just know you are safe."

"Do you know who I am?" Beca's question was hopeful, and her heart began to beat fast as Chloe nodded. When Chloe tapped her chest and began to cry, Beca rested her head on Chloe's shoulder. "Oh, Chlo, I love you."

Chloe tried to speak again, frustrated when she was told not to speak. She then made a writing motion with her hands. The nurse produced a pen and pad of paper. Chloe scribbled near illegible words on the pad before showing what she had written to Beca. _I love you, too._

A commotion stirred in the hallway as someone could be heard running towards the room. Beca instinctively stood between Chloe and the door. Stacie rushed into the room and up to Chloe's bed. "Oh my god, Chlo. Are you okay?" Chloe nodded her head.

"No, she's not okay. But she will be." Stacie hadn't seen Beca standing there and was shocked to hear her speak. "She just woke up. The nurse said she'd send the doctor in shortly and I can fill you in on the rest. Are you staying for a bit, Stace?" Stacie nodded as she, too, went to the bed to hold Chloe's hand.

Beca then spoke to Chloe. "The police have been not-so-patiently waiting to talk to me. Can I leave Stacie here with you?" Chloe nodded. "I love you." Chloe held up the pad again with the words she had written earlier.

* * *

Beca gave her statement to the police officers as quickly as possible, describing what she saw when she pulled up to her home. "All I know is that he was holding Chloe in the air by her throat before he tossed her to the ground after she passed out." Beca couldn't give many details about Tom, only what she remembered from Chloe's story for leaving her at the proposal – that Chloe had fled New York over a year ago to get away from him. "I can send her friend Stacie out. I believe her husband is Chloe's divorce lawyer or at least can get you in touch with who he is. Between the two lawyers, you can get all the details on Tom."

When she asked about Tom's injuries, the officers told her he had been transported to the city jail and was being treated in the infirmary there. He had required a slew of stitches, but he was going to live. They also assured her that their preliminary investigation was yielding no evidence that Beca would face any charges, especially since she probably saved Chloe's life. They got her contact information and asked her to send Stacie out.

By the time both women were back in the room, the doctor was examining the redhead. "I need to check the swelling on your vocal cords. I'm sorry in advance. This may be uncomfortable." He began to unravel the gauze which was loosely wrapped around Chloe's throat and neck.

When Beca saw the mottled purple bruises left by Tom's fingers and thumb on her girlfriend's throat, she became livid all over again. Stacie saw the shorter woman gripping and releasing her fists and put her arm around Beca to calm her again. She leaned over to whisper, "Chloe can sense your tension, Becs. Chill."

"While it may not seem that way, your injuries look okay. I'm going to rewrap your neck only so we can continue to use icepacks. The cold will help with the pain and swelling. I've left orders for pain medicine and sedatives to help you sleep. The pain medicine is PRN on request after the first two days. The sedatives are mandatory. Please take them as prescribed. You are going to need them for the first few nights."

Beca stepped forward. "Can I stay with her, doc?"

"You are…?"

"I'm Beca Mitchell, her girlfriend." With those words, Beca dropped her eyes to the ground. She hoped she could be Chloe's girlfriend again. When Beca saw Tom holding the redhead up in the air by her throat, she thought Chloe had died. That made her realize that she couldn't live without her. The past no longer mattered – only the future.

"Ms. Mitchell, I think that'd be a good idea. Ms. Beale doesn't need to be alone."

* * *

The next few days and nights were rough. Even with the sedatives, Chloe had difficulty sleeping. And if she did manage to drift off to sleep, nightmares would startle her awake with a silent scream. Beca never left the bedside, leaving only when Stacie forced her to eat or to take a shower.

Luckily, Chloe had no conscious memory of the events after leaving the packaging store. When she found out that Tom was responsible for her injuries, the redhead became rattled – terrified in fact. Beca continued to assure her he was locked up and couldn't hurt her. Chloe wanted to know details about the incident, and talking about what happened seemed to help her. The more Chloe shared what she remembered and the bits Beca felt comfortable filling, the more the nightmares eased.

Eventually, Chloe managed to drink clear broth and water as well as small portions of Jello, but her doctor was not yet ready to release her from the hospital. Chloe finally got tired of communicating by writing notes and asked Stacie to get her laptop from her loft. When Stacie suggested Beca go since she had keys to the building, Chloe got upset and pointed firmly at Stacie. "Okay, okay. I'll go."

Stacie knew Beca could get into Chloe's loft anytime she wanted but wouldn't out of respect until she and Chloe had a chance to work things out. Despite not leaving Chloe's side, Stacie knew Beca and Chloe had a lot to sort through before trust would begin to develop again. When Stacie got into Chloe's loft, she discovered why Chloe didn't want Beca to retrieve her laptop. On the table, sitting propped up against a vase of dead flowers was one of Chloe's knitted dolls.

The doll had on a black jacket and pants, boots, and an open face helmet. Each piece of clothing was individually knitted and was removable. The eyes of the doll were dark blue, and the face sported a crooked smirk much like the one Beca had when she was teasing Chloe. This doll screamed Beca and was the best doll she had seen Chloe make.

Stacie packed up Chloe's laptop and power cord. Stacie had seen Beca the last few days as she tirelessly cared for Chloe in the hospital and watched her sleep in the chair next to the bed, so she could be there when night terrors struck. She knew Beca still loved Chloe with all her being. She looked at the doll again and tucked it into the bag. Stacie decided to also get some of Chloe's favorite yogurt drinks from the fridge in hopes of softening the blow of bringing Beca's doll.

* * *

Chloe was napping when Stacie returned. Beca held her finger up to her lips and motioned for Stacie to step out in the hall. "She's been sleeping since you left. The terrors don't seem to give her much trouble in the daytime."

"How're you doing?" Stacie put her hand on the shorter woman's shoulder.

"Hanging in there." Beca ran her hand through her hair. "I feel so guilty. I should have been more understanding when she told me she was married and _listened_ to her. Should have been there when that bastard was there and bashed his skull in earlier. Everything. God Stacie, I love her. I hope I haven't lost her."

"None of this is your fault Beca. You reacted as any normal person would when you found out she was married and had hidden a lot of pretty important secrets. And if it helps, even I didn't know about her past. The only person who knew was her friend Jessica and my husband, Donald." Stacie stopped. "Fuck. Did you call Jessica?"

"Who's that?"

"Her best friend from Long Island. Oh, that's right, you didn't meet her."

"Huh?"

"She came to be with Chloe after you proposed. Chloe was pretty torn up about everything. But that's neither here nor there. Shit. I need to call her." Stacie handed Beca the laptop bag and walked down the hallway to call Jessica.

Beca crept back in and set up Chloe's laptop on the sliding desk where she could easily access it. She found the yogurt drinks and took them to the nurses' station to be refrigerated. There was another lump in the bag. She reached in and pulled out the doll.

She stepped over to the window where the light was a bit brighter and began to examine the doll Chloe had made in her image. She didn't notice when Chloe woke up but heard a rapid tapping of a pen on the table. As she turned to face the redhead, Chloe was holding up a note in all caps. WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?

* * *

Beca thought the doll was as precious as could be and couldn't figure out why Chloe was crying. Chloe wouldn't communicate anymore until she booted up her computer. Then she started rapidly typing.

_Chloe: Where did you get that doll?_

"Ummm it was in the laptop bag, Chloe." Chloe was noticeably upset and angry. Beca couldn't figure out what she had done to set the woman off.

_Chloe: Seriously, Beca. Have you been in my loft?_

"NO! I would never invade your privacy like that. I promise. The doll was in your bag along with your laptop and those yogurt drinks you love so much." Beca was confused and walked over to the redhead.

Chloe remained quiet, not typing anything else. Beca examined the doll again. "She is kinda cute, though. Like me." She grinned at Chloe, who was fighting a smile. Beca turned the doll over and discovered the B stitched into the jacket. "Ahhh B. I shall call her Badass. Again, like me."

This time Chloe did smile. Her hand moved to her throat as she attempted to hold back a laugh.

_Chloe: You weren't supposed to see that._

"Why not? It's adorable. Again, like me. Wait, I'm not adorable. I'm badass." She waved the doll in the air. "Or is she Badass? God, I'm so confused."

_Chloe: Shut up._

"I'd tell you to shut up, but you kinda can't talk anyway," Beca'd missed teasing Chloe.

_Chloe: Just you wait, Mitchell. I'll get you for this._

About that time, Stacie walked in with a yogurt drink in hand. "Peace offering?" Chloe took it, unscrewed the top, and took a small swallow before typing.

_Chloe: You better be glad you brought bribes. She wasn't supposed to see that doll._

Stacie grinned. "Why not? It's one of your best dolls ever. Very realistic – as far has knitted dolls go." Beca snickered. "I got hold of Jessica. She booked a flight first thing tomorrow, and I'm picking her up at the airport. She can stay in my guest bedroom."

Beca gathered Chloe's hands in hers. "Do I get to meet Jessica this time?" Chloe nodded. "Good I figure she _and_ Stacie need to give me the best friend speech. I know your recovery is going to be long and hard. But I'm going to be here for you, Chloe, every step of the way."

_Chloe: But I lied to you. And as much as I don't want to be, I'm still married._

"Chloe Beale, I love you. That's what matters. All this," she motioned around them, "will work itself out. No more secrets?"

_Chloe: No more secrets._

Being able to type helped Chloe communicate so much better. She switched the conversation to the incident. Beca and Stacie both knew that the more she 'talked' about it, the better she got.

_Chloe: I remember waking up. I could hear Beca talking, but she seemed far away. I honestly thought I had died. Things were so confusing._

"You didn't die. That's what's important. And you are here, with both of us, and safe."

* * *

Chloe's divorce lawyer stopped by the hospital a few days later to check on her. "Seems like you got yourself into a pickle, young lady." Chloe looked at him questioningly. "Your girlfriend here, I'm assuming that's who she is, put a hurt on your husband." Beca puffed up her chest protectively, getting annoyed at the lawyer. "He's laid up in the infirmary at the jail and won't be going anywhere anytime soon." The lawyer winked at Chloe. "I'd say you've got much better surroundings… and scenery."

Beca had enough and told the lawyer to say his piece and get out. She knew she wasn't in trouble for what she'd done to Tom. He nearly killed Chloe. He deserved what he got. She only wished she could have done more damage to him for hurting her girlfriend.

"Whoa there, Ms. Mitchell." The attorney held up his hands in mock defense. "I'm just joshing." He then spoke to Chloe. "I've been on the phone with your husband's lawyer back in New York. Frankly, I'm glad you are divorcing that scum bag. Anyway, his attorney wouldn't back down from what they want in the divorce and is now threatening to sue Ms. Mitchell here on top of everything."

Jessica had gotten in the day before and spoke first. "Are you serious? You can't be, right?"

The lawyer laughed. "I let his fancy New York attorney know that according to Alabama penal code, Mr. Tom had committed Assault in the First Degree, a Class B felony in our fine state, by _recklessly engaging in conduct that creates a grave risk of death to another. The conduct also causes serious physical injury to a person under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life_." The lawyer rattled off the criminal code before sticking his thumbs in his belt loops and grinning.

Chloe was rapidly typing away, then Beca spoke before she could finish. "What does all that mean?"

"It means… two to twenty. Two to twenty years away from his beloved sons and a fine of up to $30,000. And remember what I told you about Alabama judges, Ms. Beale, about their harshness against men who cheat on their wives? We found ample proof of marital indiscretions in his financial records during the time you still lived on Long Island unless he had a habit going to seedy motels to relax."

_Chloe: Okay. Now what?_

"I offered Tom's lawyer a deal. They would agree to the terms of our original divorce papers, and Tom will leave the state of Alabama, not to return. In exchange, we'll request the D.A. to let him plea to misdemeanor assault and serve a ten-year probated sentence in New York with community service. Of course, I have to get your permission first."

_Chloe: He wouldn't get any of my money?_

"No ma'am."

_Chloe: He can't return to Alabama?_

"No. And I imagine we can get the judge to throw in a restraining order which runs through his probation period in case you want to go back to New York."

_Chloe: And I'll be divorced. Officially?_

"Absolutely."

_Chloe: Then let's do it. I get what I want. Besides as much as I hate the man, I couldn't forgive myself if I took Will from his father._

* * *

After a few more days in the hospital, as Chloe was able to tolerate different foods like mashed potatoes and ice cream, she was discharged with strict instructions to keep icing her neck so the swelling would continue to improve. She was allowed to talk but only for limited amounts during the day.

Beca insisted Chloe stay downstairs in her loft. While the nightmares were improving, they still happened on occasion and Beca couldn't stand the thought of Chloe being alone during one of the episodes. The DJ made a pallet on the floor next to the bed so she'd never be far from the redhead.

Chloe pouted when Stacie nor Beca would allow her to go to the next farmers' market. They both knew the redhead had no business being on her feet all morning or out in the sun. Beca went in her place to make sales and take custom orders. While Beca was busy taking Chloe's place, Chloe was busy knitting.

She had a slew of dolls all ready to go on the website with their pictures. She got her e-commerce site up and running. She hadn't advertised the site yet, so she was surprised when orders began to trickle in. The statistics on her provider page told her hits were coming from the new links she had put on her Facebook page and her Instagram profile.

Chloe knew once she put the meta tags on her website, search engines would begin to pick up her site. Finally, when she got close to running out of business cards, she would redesign them with her website.

Since Chloe was only selling pre-made dolls at the moment, she had them packaged and ready to go. When Beca came home, Chloe showed her what she had accomplished. "Someone's been a busy girl today. I thought you were going to rest." Chloe gave a sweet smile, one she knew Beca couldn't resist and kissed her gently.

Chloe kept her website status quo for several weeks until she knew she could keep up with the orders it added to her workload. Meanwhile, she made an appointment with a website developer to help her design her site to take custom orders. Chloe's Cuddles was going to take the internet by storm.

* * *

**A/N: One more chapter will wrap this up, folks. Thanks for reading!**


	16. The End Is Near

A few months later, a courier knocked on Chloe's door to deliver a large, thick envelope. After opening it, she went flying out of the loft and down the stairs to Beca's unit. She began banging on Beca's door and shouting, "Beca! Open the door Becs." By the time the redhead remembered she had a key, her girlfriend had managed to get her door open. Her hair was disheveled; a panicked look was on her face. She wasn't expecting such a ruckus outside her door.

Beca pulled Chloe into her loft. "Are you okay, Chloe? What's going on?" The DJ ran her hands over Chloe checking for injury.

Chloe waved a sheath of papers in front of her. "Look what came today! It's official. I'm a free woman. When I left New York, I only thought I was free. But now, I truly am." Beca took the papers and looked at the divorce decree before lifting Chloe and happily swinging her around.

"Congratulations, Chloe. I'm delighted to know I'm no longer dating an adulteress." Beca received a swat on the butt for that comment. "Easy there killer. Why don't you get dressed? We'll go somewhere to celebrate. Low key."

Chloe planted another kiss on her girlfriend's cheek, turned, and ran up the stairs. Beca was laughing as she shut the door behind the other woman. The redhead was so adorable when she was this excited. After changing into more suitable clothes, Beca went to her dresser and pulled open her sock drawer. She dug to the back and pulled out a small yet familiar velvet box.

Not a day had gone by after Chloe's accident without Beca pulling out the ring box and thinking about her options, her future, their future. She finally decided her decision was a no-brainer. She loved Chloe. Period. She'd talked to both Jessica and Stacie about her plans, and they both gave their blessings. And today was as good as any to put those plans back into play.

When Beca heard Chloe tromping down the stairs, she quickly shoved the box into her pocket and met Chloe at the door. The redhead dangled her keys by her finger. "You drive babe?" Beca grinned as she locked up her loft.

* * *

The couple decided on a newer pizza joint downtown. The restaurant had an eclectic beer selection and pretty good pies. Nothing sounded better that night than some cold beer and hot pizza.

Both women were getting full and picked at the toppings on the leftover slices since there wasn't enough to take home. Beca plucked a piece of pepperoni off and popped it into her mouth. "The last few months have been a pretty wild ride, huh?"

"You can say that again." Chloe dug off an olive.

"The last few months have been a pretty wi…" she stopped as Chloe popped her in the arm. "Owww. You said I could say it again. Geesh. Seriously Chloe. But honestly, I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you. When I saw you…"

"Stop." Chloe held up a hand. "That's in the past, where it needs to stay. We need to move forward." Chloe found another pepperoni slice and held it out for Beca. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I didn't ever think we'd get back here." Chloe was staring off somewhere.

"Back here? This is our first time at this restaurant." Chloe only rolled her eyes at Beca's relentless teasing. Suddenly Beca got serious. "Chloe… since we met, you've made me a better person. Before the accident, I thought I was a better person, but now I'm convinced. I love you, your eyes, your hair, your personality, everything."

Chloe froze as she listened to Beca's familiar words. She couldn't believe this was happening. Again. Right here, right now.

Beca continued. "Chloe, I have gone over and over different paths my life could take. Each path leads me to you. I adore you, Chloe Beale. I don't want to spend another second of my life without you." She pulled the ring box out of her pocket and again kneeled on one knee. Beca looked down to open the box then back up at the redhead. "Will you marry me?"

When Chloe didn't answer her, Beca's fear began to bubble up inside her, threatening to make her flee much as Chloe had done at her last proposal. Terror crawled up her throat, choking her. When she looked at Chloe, she realized the redhead was crying.

Chloe got on her knees with Beca and threw her arms around her neck. "Yes, Beca. A thousand times, yes. I'll marry you."

* * *

**_Epilogue_ **

Because of the different construction aspects involved and with never-ending change orders from Chloe, the builders finished the goat pens and barn before the house. Beca had arranged to buy some breeding stock and milk goats from another goat rancher. Soon, she and Chloe were going to have their hands busy with their new son, but the youth from the center would do the majority of care of the animals.

Donald helped arrange the non-profit status of Mitchell Goat Farms. MGF established a small board that in turn hired Stacie to manage the small ranch as well as coordinate volunteer and community service efforts. She had passed the farmers' market baton to another neighbor. Beca's intention was not to make money from the goats but rather to provide milk to several local shelters for their expecting mothers and infant children. If enough remained, the kitchens could find inventive recipes to use the rest.

Beca did face a bit of a dilemma when she shared her plans for the male goats in their herd. Her wife had locked herself in the bathroom in Beca's loft, crying inconsolably. The brunette wasn't sure how to calm Chloe down, especially since the redhead's pregnancy hormones were raging. "Y-y-ou can't kill our pets, Beca. I love them."

Beca sat down with her back against the door. "Baby. Come on, open the door. We can talk about this." Chloe refused. "Sweetie. The female goats provide milk. We can keep a few male goats to breed, but otherwise – all they do is eat grass and feed. The best thing to do is to butcher them. The shelters could use the fresh meat. I bet you could make some mean cabrito recipes." Chloe somehow began to cry even harder at this thought. "Babe, many cultures regularly eat goat meat. Where do you think our other meat comes from? Beef starts as cows. Chicken starts as, well, chicken."

"B-b-but …"

"Chloe! You aren't even a vegetarian. They are **_goats, _**not puppies."

Finally, the redhead calmed down enough to come out of the bathroom. She was obviously still upset, but she wasn't locked away anymore. "I'm sorry, Beca. My heart breaks when I think of any of our babies being taken to the butcher."

Beca didn't have the heart to tell her the goats would go to a slaughterhouse before going to a butcher. She compromised that Chloe could choose her five favorite billies and pick out collars for them that would identify them as Chloe's "pets" – or breeding stock. Those would be safe from the quell, as Chloe called it.

* * *

Beca and Chloe's new house was finally ready. Movers had come and gone with all the belongings from both lofts. The couple had picked out new furniture which suited their combined styles. All that was left to do was unpacking the small things.

"Our first night in our new home, Mrs. Mitchell." Chloe lay on her back with a pillow under her legs.

Beca had her head laying next to Chloe's stomach, hand rubbing her wife's swollen abdomen. "I know, Mrs. Mitchell. Just you, me, and this little feller." Beca lovingly kissed her wife's baby bump before crawling up to gently kiss her as well. "I can't believe we are going to be parents soon."

"Carson is going to love his Mama B. But don't forget about all the b-b-baaaaaaabbbby goats outside." Chloe tried to bleat like a goat.

"That was bbbbbbad." Beca tried to keep from laughing as she bleated, too. "Our son will adore both of us."

* * *

While Stacie had helped Beca design the goat ranch, her daughter had yet to visit. Bella immediately fell in love with the goats – the adult goats and the baby goats, especially the baby goats in pajamas. She pointed out the smallest. "That's my favorite one, mama."

Stacie squatted down next to her daughter as she looked at the tiniest goat. "Why is that baby?"

"She's wearing pajamas with yellow duckies!"

After running around a while, Bella came up to Chloe and laid her head against Chloe's large tummy in hopes she could feel the baby kick. "Aunt Chloe? Am I going to have a baby sister or a baby brother?" Her wide eyes were full of curiosity as the adults chuckled.

Chloe sat down on one of the chairs that Beca made sure were scattered around the property. "Oh Bella honey, this baby won't be your baby brother or sister. He'll be more like a cousin."

Bella furrowed her eyes before running over to her mother and lightly punching her in the thigh. She crossed her arms and screwed her face into a huge pout. "Mama! You said I was getting a baby brother or a baby sister. Not fair! I want to be a big sister."

The meaning behind Bella's statement hit Beca and Chloe at the same time. Chloe struggled to push herself out of the chair and waddled over to her friend. "Stacie Conrad! Are you pregnant?"

* * *

.

* * *

_**Epilogue Plus – Wrapping Up Loose Ends**_

**Five Years Later**

Beca kept her eye on a wiry young man with dirty, stringy hair who was walking around the farmers' market with a partially full duffle bag slung over his shoulder. She was trying to divide her attention between that teenager and her wife who was trying to split hers between Beca and their five-year-old son, Carson.

"Do you think we need to keep our stand at the farmers' market, Becs?" When Chloe had opened up her doll business to online orders, her sales skyrocketed. She had to limit her orders towards the end of her pregnancy to keep up with the demand during the strains of her pregnancy and to take care of Carson. But their son was starting Kindergarten in the fall. She'd have a little more time to knit.

"Hhhhmmmmmm."

"Beca Mitchell. Are you even listening to me?"

About that time, the teenager with a duffle bag began to amble their direction. Beca tensed up.

"Amber?" The young man looked at Chloe questioningly. Beca quickly positioned her body between the young man and her wife and son, holding her arm out protectively. "Amber, is that you? Ummm, I guess I mean Chloe." He looked at the redhead hopefully. Except for moving her son behind her, Chloe had frozen.

The teenager looked down to dig in his duffel bag. While his attention was drawn away, Beca moved her body backward, pushing Chloe and Carson even further away. The teen pulled out a tattered book and stretched it out towards the redhead. When she didn't reach for it, he placed it down and backed up as he sensed the adults' unease.

Chloe's curiosity got the best of her as she picked up the book. "_'A Wrinkle in Time'_ by Madeleine L'Engle." She looked up. "Will? Will, is that you?"

He gave a boyish grin as he nodded. "Yeah, it's me."

"Oh my goodness." Any concern Chloe had was lost as she flew past her wife and flung her arms around the scraggly teen's neck. After a long hug, she held his face and looked at him for a bit. Then she turned back to her wife. "Beca, this is Will. I told you about him…" Chloe wasn't sure how Beca would respond but hoped her wife remembered that their own son was watching the interaction.

Beca gave a quick nod of her head and stretched out her hand towards Will. "Nice to meet you, Will. I'm Beca." She then turned and protectively picked up Carson. Beca told Chloe she'd watch the booth and pack up if she and Will wanted to talk. "Message me when you head back."

Chloe gave her wife and son a kiss before leading Will down the street. "Will, what are you doing here? How did you find me? I mean, I'm glad to see you, but what's going on?"

"It's a long story." Will's sigh was long.

Chloe stopped walking and looked at her former stepson just now seeing how gaunt and thin he was. "Will, how long has it been since you've had a decent meal? And I don't mean chips from a vending machine." He shamefully hung his head, refusing to look at Chloe.

They immediately went to a diner. When Will refused to order, Chloe ordered him a double cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake. "There's more where that came from. You won't go hungry here, Will."

Chloe found out that Will was now seventeen years old. His grandmother had passed away a few years ago and left a reasonably sizable inheritance to Tom, TJ, and himself. "TJ got messed up into drugs and wasted his away and proceeded to steal most of my money."

"What about your dad?" Chloe still couldn't stand to say his name.

Will rolled his eyes as he shoved a fry into his mouth. "He violated probation once too many times. The judge threw him in prison. He's serving a full ten-year sentence upstate. I guess since I'm seventeen, the state didn't come looking for me. TJ is too messed up to know anything, stoned out of his gourd. I scrounged enough cash to get a bus ticket here in hopes I could find you."

When Chloe asked him how he found her, he said he remembered hearing his dad talk to his attorney during the divorce about Chloe being in Birmingham. "I snooped in his office and found some information. Did he really come here and do those things to you, Amber?"

"Remember, my name is Chloe now. And yes, he did." She stretched her arm across the table and put her hand over his. "But Will, it's all over now. I have a good life. I'm married to Beca, and we have an incredible son."

"I'm sure you're a great mom. You always treated me with respect, best out of anyone in my life. I guess that's why I came looking for you. I honestly don't have anywhere else to go."

When Chloe asked Will what his plans were, he shrugged and said he guessed he'd start looking for a job. "Let me check with Beca and see what she can do to help out." She glanced at the time on her phone. "In fact, the farmers' market should be closing soon. Hang on."

Chloe texted Beca to let them know where she and Will were and asked her to come to the diner. She had a milkshake waiting for her wife and son to share as they slid into the booth next to her. Knowing the couple needed to talk, Will excused himself, leaving his duffle on his side. Chloe gave her a brief rundown of Will's situation. "Beca, I can't turn my back on him. His dad is in prison, his brother is a druggie, and his grandmother passed away. He has nobody else."

Beca was exasperated but knew she wouldn't win against Chloe. After some discussion, the DJ relented. "He can stay in the ranchhand house at the goat barn and work with the goats for now. That will put a roof over his head, food in his belly, and some pocket change. When he turns eighteen, I'll see about getting him a barback job at the club."

When Will came back to the table, Beca explained what she had decided and laid out some basic ground rules. "Working the goats isn't as easy as it sounds, but my ranch manager, Stacie, will help you out. Chloe speaks highly of the boy she knew a decade ago. Don't prove her wrong."

* * *

Chloe smiled as she fixed a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade to take outside to the shop. She stood watching Beca directing Carson which tool to hand to Will then instructing the teen what to do to the engine of the Jeep. "I thought you might need to take a break and brought you something to drink."

Beca grinned as she took her glass. She pointed at Chloe as she spoke to her son. "Your mama used to bring me lemonade when I used to work on Old Blue here by myself. Sure is easier now that I have two helpers."

Will scoffed. "Helpers? Don't you mean…"

Beca cut him off. "Choose your next words carefully, boy." The tall, lanky boy was as easy to tease as Chloe was. "Finish up that lemonade. You have a solo test drive to do."

Will's eyes widened with excitement as he drained his drink. "Seriously? Solo?"

Beca waved him off with her hand. "Go on. You remember how to drive a stick-shift, right?"

He nodded furiously. "Yes, ma'am." He crawled into the Jeep, started it, and carefully pulled away from the workshop.

Chloe put her arm around her wife before quickly pulling away. "Ewww you're sweaty. Have you told him you are giving it to him yet?" Beca shook her head. "Are you sure you want to get rid of it? I know the Jeep is special."

"I don't need it, Chlo. I have a family now. Besides, it's Will. The boy has kinda grown on me. He turns eighteen next week. He needs something to drive if he's going to work at the club."

"Thanks for letting me take him in Beca. You didn't have to."

"He's a good kid. Oh. One more thing. Nick is getting assigned overseas again. He's looking for a loft-sitter. Think Will would be interested?"

* * *

**A/N: I felt Will needed his storyline wrapped up. I felt leaving the young lad out to dry would have been cruel.**

**Thanks to everyone who has followed this story from the beginning. I appreciate every reader and give a double thanks to those who have reviewed,**


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